


Come Sundown

by Half



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, ranch au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2018-12-21 22:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 28,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11954319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half/pseuds/Half
Summary: When their father dies, the estranged Earp sisters return to the family ranch. Locked into an inheritance that forces them to live together and stuck on a ranch under siege, the trio will have to learn how to unite- or risk losing everything.





	1. got a whole lot of time left

**Author's Note:**

> Find me @youreagoodliar on Tumblr

Waverly Earp had never cared much for her last name. When she was little and in school, the boys who watched _Tombstone_ far too young had teased her and taunted her, pretending to shoot at her, constantly demanding to know whether she was one of _those_ Earps.

The truth was that she didn’t really know.

She hadn’t seen her father since she was three years old.

It was ironic, really. She stood at the bus stop closest to the town of Purgatory, waiting to call a taxi, twenty years almost to the day since she was pulled onto a bus by her mother so they could get away from Ward Earp for good.

And she was waiting to go to the funeral of the father she had never really known.

A man pulled up to the curb in a yellow cab and got out, squinting at his phone. “W. Earp?” he called. “I got a pickup for a W. Earp?”

Waverly blinked, confusion flickering through her. She hadn’t called the taxi yet. She headed forward, her grip on her duffel bag tightening, and she walked straight into a tall, dark-haired woman who had stepped towards the cab as well.

“Sorry,” Waverly mumbled. “I was just confused because I didn’t think I had called for that, but I guess somebody must’ve-”

“You’re a W. Earp, too?” the woman asked.

Waverly felt her stomach flip. “What?”

The brunette squinted at her, blue eyes seeming to see right through Waverly. “Well, I know you aren’t Willa. I’m pretty sure I remember what she looks like.” She snapped her fingers and pointed in Waverly’s face. “You must’ve been after me.”

“U-Uhm.”

“Sorry. Hold on a sec.” The woman walked to talk to the cab driver for a moment, and Waverly dragged a few memories back into her mind.

“You’re… Winnifred?” Waverly guessed awkwardly.

“Wynonna. Nice attempt, though.”

She blushed. “S-Sorry. I’m… u-uh. I’m Waverly.”

Wynonna shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Walburga.”

Waverly snorted. “Is that how this is going to be?”

Her big sister grinned down at her. “That’s how I always _be_ , kiddo. Now c’mon. We might as well split the cab fare.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly learned three main things about Wynonna Earp during their car ride into Purgatory.

Number One: She was the middle of three Earp daughters, six years older than Waverly and one who had stayed for five years, right until Waverly’s mother had moved in.

Number Two: She was funny as hell.

Number Three: She was just as bitter towards Ward Earp as Waverly had always been.

“I’m pretty sure I inherited alcoholism from the old man,” Wynonna joked as she handed Waverly her bag out of the trunk of the cab. “Wanna go to a bar?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be meeting up with… er… what’s her name… Gus? To head to the Ranch?”

“Yeah, in like half an hour.” Wynonna winked. “I can have at least three beers by then.”

Waverly snorted and shook her head slowly. “You’re trouble, aren’t you?”

“That’s what my therapist always said.” Wynonna clapped a hand onto Waverly’s shoulder. “Enable me. Let us drink together on the eve of our father’s funeral.” As she steered Waverly down the street, Waverly heard her add in a mumble, “Not that we ever knew the bastard.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly was halfway through a sip of her beer when a hand smacked down onto the counter between her and Wynonna, making her jump and almost spill it.

“Can I buy you chicks another round?” the man asked through a grin he seemed to think was charming.

“Er. No. Thanks.” Waverly picked up a napkin and wiped the rim of her bottle. “We’re not staying very long.”

“C’mon, baby, let me buy you a drink. Something more appropriate than that.”

Wynonna raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Ya know. I good solid girl drink.” He smirked at Waverly. “Maybe a Sex on the Beach?”

“Sounds good. I’ll have to find somebody who’s actually worth sharing it with.”

Wynonna choked a laugh into her whiskey. “Damn,” she mumbled.

The man frowned. “Now, I think you’ll find that I’m the best riding partner you could ever get, babe.”

“Alright,” Wynonna grumbled. “That’s enough from you. Run along and fetch your juice box, buddy boy.”

“Why don’t you shut up and let me enjoy my time with your friend here?” he demanded, getting in Wynonna’s face.

She gave a low laugh. “Oh, buddy. Way too close.”

“What?”

Wynonna punched him square in the eye.

The bar brawl was short, at least for the Earp girls. A gray-haired woman with a scowl on her face walked in after only a few punches, grabbed them both by the backs of their shirts, and dragged them out to the sidewalk.

“Aw, c’mon, I was winning,” Wynonna whined.

The woman snorted. “You’re the older one, without any doubt.” She scrutinized them both with a frown. “I’m Gus McCready. And you both must be two of the three Earp daughters, because only an Earp could end up in a bar fight that quick after arriving to town.”

“She started it,” Waverly mumbled, brushing a line of blood off of her split lip.

“Traitor,” Wynonna muttered.

Gus rolled her eyes. “Glad to see you’re getting on.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the truck parked behind her. “Get in the truck while I extract your bags from the mess in there.”

Wynonna’s eyes were shining. “I could always-”

“No. Get.”

“Oh, fine.”

As they climbed into the truck, Waverly said, “Is it just me, or do you also feel like you were just trained like a disobedient puppy?”

Wynonna let out a long sigh. “This is going to be a terrible experience. I can already tell.”

 

+++++

 

Gus pulled the truck through a large entry sign emblazoned with the words “PEACEMAKER RANCH”, a five-point star logo sitting neatly in the middle.

“This is it, girls,” she said quietly. “This is your family land.”

“This is a desert with some grass, occasionally,” Wynonna joked.

Waverly smacked her shoulder. “It’s beautiful.”

“Most of the land up here is just used for riding, shooting, boundary lines, nonsense like that. Nobody actually brings herds up here.” Gus glanced at Wynonna out of the corner of her eye. “When you were four you tried to get your border collie to herd the chickens out here. I’m shocked that your Daddy didn’t tan your hide for that.”

“I don’t remember that,” Wynonna murmured, staring out at the wide open space.

“No,” Gus said softly. “I would imagine that you both were too young to remember much of anything about this place.”

 

+++++

 

When they got to the main house, a cluster of people were standing around in the yard. A brunette woman barely older than Wynonna stood on the porch, her arms folded.

“Is that Willa?” Wynonna asked, her voice a whisper.

“Yes,” Gus replied.

“I remember her, just a little. We’re not far off in age, right?”

“Only a year.”

Waverly shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I don’t recall her liking me very much.”

Wynonna patted her leg and shot her a grin. “You were just a baby. Babies are annoying.”

“Wow. Thanks so much.”

“No problem,” Wynonna said, swinging the door open and jumping out of the truck as it parked.

Gus led them over to the cluster of people and gestured to each of them in turn. “Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp, these are the people who are dumb enough to work here. Robert “Shorty” Simons, Xavier Dolls, J. Henry “Doc” Holliday, Rosita Bustillos, Chrissy Nedley, Ruthie Hunter, and James…” She trailed off, sighing heavily. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, where is that fool Champ Hardy?”

“He went into town to get a drink with the York boys,” Chrissy said.

“Naturally.” Gus turned to Wynonna and Waverly. “Well, you’ll meet the brawn-not-brains portion of our little band here later.”

“What happened to your faces?”

Everyone looked up at the porch, where Willa was staring at her sisters.

“Oh. Uhm. Got into a little tiny fight in the bar in town,” Wynonna replied.

Willa snorted. “Huh. I guess you really are Earps.”

She said nothing else and didn’t come down to greet them, instead choosing to turn and walk into the house.

Wynonna and Waverly exchanged an awkward glance.

“Ignore her,” Chrissy said, walking up to them with a welcoming smile on her face. She held out her hand to each of them in turn. “She was close with Mr. Earp- with your father. She’s just taking his death poorly.”

“Understandable,” Waverly replied, matching her smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both, though obviously we wish it were under different circumstances. The others and I have to go finish up some work, but I’m sure Gus and Ruthie can get you settled right in.”

“Thank you, Chrissy,” Wynonna said. She stared at the door, a frown tugging at the corner of her mouth. “It’s nice to feel welcome.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly stuck close to Wynonna’s side at the funeral, not entirely sure how to feel or how to react. Chrissy lingered near her as well, as if determined to make the outcasted Earp girls feel like they belonged there.

The biggest problem for Waverly was that she wasn’t particularly _sad_. She had known her father for about three years at best, which, realistically, meant she hadn’t known him at all. Her day had started out with amusement when she and Wynonna realized that the mysterious Champ Hardy was the man Wynonna had punched out in the bar, and that good mood lingered in her chest, misplaced, throughout the whole ceremony.

It was also possible that her strange emotions were just some sort of Earp thing. Wynonna spent the entire time with her hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans, her black button-down and blazer the only evidence that she had even attempted to dress for the funeral. Willa had worn a dress, but she wasn’t crying. She was just staring blankly at their father’s tombstone.

Ward Earp was laid to rest, surrounded by his three daughters, though only one had really ever known him in life.

 

+++++

 

“I just don’t understand why they even came here,” Willa snarled in the middle of the wake, her words directed to no one in particular despite the conversation she had been involved in with Ruthie.

“They’re your sisters, Willa,” Ruthie said gently. “They’re allowed to come to their father’s funeral.”

Willa snorted, glaring across the room at Waverly and Wynonna as they told stories and bonded with Chrissy, Dolls, and Doc. “They’re not my sisters,” she muttered. “And they weren’t his daughters. They don’t _deserve_ to be here.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly elected to skip the reading of Ward Earp’s will.

She had no expectations of anything coming out of it. She had barely known the man. And if she was going to establish any relationship at all with her big sisters, she had no interest in looking like she was snooping around for money.

She sat on a wicker chair on the porch of the main house, looking out at the setting sun, relaxing and ignoring what was happening inside.

It all stayed relaxed, until Willa burst out of the house with rage in her steps, got into her SUV, and drove off.

“What the hell?” Waverly wondered aloud.

Wynonna stepped out onto the porch far more slowly, a strange mixture of shock and resignation on her face. She leaned against the porch railing in front of Waverly and rubbed her hands together.

“What’s wrong with Willa?”

“She’s pissed,” Wynonna murmured. “I can’t really say I blame her. We weren’t here for most of our lives, and now…”

“Now what?”

“Well, first of all, Gus’s husband Curtis was the executor of the will, but since he’s dead the right was transitioned over to her.”

Waverly thought about it for a moment. “Okay. That makes sense.”

“Second of all, our father left the ranch equally to all three of us.”

There was a long moment while Waverly just stared at her. “… What?”

“Mhm. Yeah. And there are like. _Stipulations_. None of us can sell our parts or buy the others out for at least a year from the reading of the will. And if the three of us don’t stay living on this property for at least that same year, then the entire amount of land gets donated, completely free of charge, to the town of Purgatory. Willa loses everything. So do we.”

“I-I didn’t expect anything,” Waverly stammered.

“Neither did I,” Wynonna admitted.

Waverly swallowed. “So… What do we do now?”

Wynonna gave a dry laugh, turning her gaze towards the setting sun. “Well, baby girl. I guess we figure out how to live on a ranch.”


	2. i wanna get to know you

There were plenty of rooms in the main house of Peacemaker Ranch for Wynonna and Waverly to move into. There was also, thankfully, plenty of room that they could stay out of Willa’s way.

Their older sister wouldn’t speak to them. She would barely even look at them.

“I can’t say I blame her,” Waverly said, sprawled on Wynonna’s bed and staring up at the ceiling. “A lot is happening to her all at once.”

“A lot of happening to _all of us_ ,” Wynonna pointed out, loading her closet up with t-shirts and low-cut blouses. “We’re managing.”

“Yes. And I’m grateful that you’re being so nice to me.” Waverly leaned up on her elbows. “But you also had it a bit easier, since you said you were already a bit of a nomad.”

“Mm. True. I’ve been living off my mom’s life insurance for… five years now?”

“What happened to her?” Waverly asked softly.

“Car accident.” Wynonna gave a jerking shrug. “Shit happens, I guess.” She fidgeted awkwardly with the jacket she was hanging. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“How are you going to move out here?”

“Ah. Well. I was already fired when I came out here, so that wasn’t a problem.” Waverly sighed and settled back again. “I told my boss that I had to take time off to go to a funeral, and he said that if I left I shouldn’t bothering coming back.”

“Are you fucking serious? Your _father_ died.”

“Yeah, well, I had a shitty job anyway.”

Wynonna sat down on the mattress next to her. “What about your mom?”

Waverly laughed dryly. “Wendy Earp is an overbearing asshole.”

“Ouch.”

“I mean. I love her. I guess. But I don’t think she ever stopped blaming me for Ward throwing us out.”

Wynonna squeezed her knee. “Why would that be your fault?”

Waverly shook her head slowly. “Eighteen years since we left and I still don’t have an answer to that question.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly leaned against the porch railing, staring out at the barn.

“Have you ever been on a horse?”

She jumped, startled, and spun around to find Chrissy washing off one of the ranch trucks in the driveway next to her.

“Oh. Uhm. N-No,” Waverly stammered. “We don’t do much horseback riding in Philadelphia.”

“Shame.” Chrissy rolled up the hose and turned the water off. “C’mon. I’ll introduce you to Skull.”

“To _who?_ ”

 

+++++

 

Skull was an American Paint Horse, according to Chrissy. A beautiful mix of brown and white that nosed Waverly as soon as she got close to him.

“He’s beautiful,” Waverly murmured, hesitantly reaching up to pat his nose.

“He’s our only Paint,” Chrissy said. “We mostly have Quarter Horses and Appaloosas.” She rolled her eyes. “Champ has a Mustang because he thinks it’s cooler.”

“You’re more than cool enough, aren’t you, big guy?” Waverly said softly, still stroking the horse.

“Would you like to try to ride him?”

Waverly stared at Chrissy. “Uhhh. I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

Chrissy snickered. “Why not?”

“Because I will fall. And break my neck.”

“You’re not going to fall.” Chrissy hesitated. “Okay, you might, but you aren’t going to break your neck.”

“Uh-huh.” Waverly kissed Skull on the nose softly. “How about I just pet the pretty horsey and avoid that?”

“Chicken.”

“Or I can take care of the chickens.”

“We don’t have chickens here.”

Waverly sighed. “Damn.”

Chrissy patted her on the back. “You’ll end up on a horse eventually, Earp.”

“Good,” Waverly muttered. “Just. Good.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly grunted in surprise as a weight suddenly dropped onto her bed. “What?” she moaned. “What do you want?”

“Breakfast,” Wynonna’s voice said. “C’mon. If we go now we can swipe Gus’s truck and go to that dive of a diner in town for some bacon with more grease on it than made it onto the pan.”

“First of all, gross. Second of all, do you think they’ll have scrapple?”

Wynonna blinked down at her. “What the fuck is scrapple?”

Waverly rubbed at her eyes. “I don’t know how to describe it in a way that doesn’t sound disgusting. It’s a slab of pork.”

“Slab of pork means bacon to me.”

“It’s also kind of a mush?”

“Waverly, what the fuck kind of food do they have in Pennsylvania?”

She shoved Wynonna off of the bed. “Look, it’s from the Pennsylvania Dutch. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

“I don’t think I will _ever_ do that.”

“Go to hell,” Waverly grumbled.

“As long as hell is the name of that diner, I’m game.”

 

+++++

 

They made it to the front door before Gus caught them.

“Just what do you two think you’re doing?” she demanded, her arms folded across her chest.

Waverly and Wynonna glanced at each other and simultaneously said, “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

“I swear,” Gus muttered. “It’s like you were raised together.” She pointed at the kitchen. “If you want breakfast, sit down and I’ll make it.”

“We don’t want you to fuss,” Waverly protested.

“You live in this house,” Gus said. “I’m in charge of this house, no matter who y’all’s Daddy was. So you’re going to sit at that table and eat what I make you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Waverly and Wynonna both said.

 

+++++

 

“Oh, it’s nice to see you two up before noon,” Willa said sweetly as she walked into the kitchen. “Usually I’m already halfway through all my work before I see either one of you.”

“Now, Willa, it’s not fair to expect them to know how to do work right off the bat,” Gus scolded. “Are you going to sit and eat with your sisters?”

Willa snorted. “You’re still pretending that they’re my sisters? I pretended for the funeral. I’m not pretending now that I’m being forced to live with them.” She grabbed a piece of toast and a piece of bacon and stormed out of the back door.

Wynonna whistled softly. “When do I get to say that she’s transitioned from grief to bitch?”

Gus frowned, staring at the door. “I don’t think she means to be like this,” she said. “I think she just… she’s _bitter_. About all of this.”

“The thing is,” Waverly murmured. “Is she going to be like this the whole year? Or is she ever going to start to try with us?”

“I don’t know, Waverly,” Gus sighed. “I just don’t know.”

 

+++++

 

“I’m going to go into town and get whiskey,” Wynonna said, leaning into Waverly’s room. “Do you want anything?”

“Corona?”

Wynonna snorted. “Blue Moon all the way, dude.”

“Yeah, well, if that’s what you want then you can get that, too.” Waverly smiled sweetly at her. “You asked me what I wanted.”

Wynonna shook her head and muttered, “Fucking stupid kid sisters.”

 

+++++

 

Wynonna loaded her alcohol into the back of the SUV she had borrowed from Ruthie. As she shut the hatch, she jumped in surprise when she noticed a man standing next to her.

“Jesus Christ, dude, wear a bell or something,” she said, panting as she leaned against the vehicle. “You can’t sneak up on people like that.”

“My apologies,” he said with a grin that sent chills up her spine. He held out a hand. “I’m Robert Swain. Owner of Del Ray Ranch.”

“That’s the one across the river from Peacemaker Ranch, yeah?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He continued smiling creepily at her. “You’re one of the Earp girls.”

It was a statement, not a question, but Wynonna said, “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Well, Ms. Earp, I was wondering if I could set up a meeting with you and your sisters. You see, before he died, your father promised to hand over a portion of your land to me. He had some debts. I’m sure you understand. But the deal was not properly finalized before his death. I think that it would be in all of our interests to work this out amongst ourselves. I would like the land I’m owed.”

Wynonna tightened her hand into a fist. “I’m sorry, Mr. Swain, didn’t you hear? The will has already been read. My father didn’t leave any land to you.”

“I’m aware of that, Ms. Earp. That’s the problem.”

“Well, I’m not sure what I can do for you. We cannot just hand over portions of our land, sir. Especially not without proof of this debt you’re speaking of.”

“This is a mistake,” he said mildly.

“Then give me more reason to believe you,” Wynonna retorted. “We just buried our father. We aren’t just going to hand things over to every asshole who steps out of the woodwork asking for money.” She pushed past him and got into the SUV.

As she drove off, she saw him in the rearview mirror, just standing in the road watching her until she turned a corner.


	3. couple kids runnin' loose and wild

Wynonna ran into the kitchen, yelling at the top of her lungs.

“WHATEVER IT WAS, I DIDN’T DO IT.”

Gus winced and squinted at her. “What in God’s name are you going on about, girl?”

“Oh. Sorry. There’s a cop outside.”

“It’s probably just the sheriff. He swings by from time to time.” Gus stood and headed for the door, pausing only to point back at Wynonna. “We’re going to talk about that later.”

“Dammit,” Wynonna mumbled.

Waverly snickered. “Smooth, sis.”

“Fuck off.”

They went outside, where a sheriff’s department SUV was pulling to a stop on the concrete next to the house. An older man got out of the driver’s seat and walked over to the porch, where he leaned on his hands against the railing. “’Morning, Gus. How is everything?”

“Just fine, Sheriff. Can I get you a coffee?”

“Nah, thanks. I’m getting guilted into drinking less of the stuff.”

“And doing what to balance it out, sleep more?”

The sheriff snorted. “That’ll be the day. How’s the executorship going?”

“Just fine, actually.” Gus gestured at the sisters. “This is Wynonna and Waverly. The younger Earps. I think you’ll find them snarky and a pain in the ass, but good kids.”

“Oh, gee, thanks,” Waverly grumbled as Wynonna rolled her eyes.

“This is Sheriff Nedley.”

Waverly’s eyes narrowed. “Nedley?”

Gus smirked. “Mhm.” She leaned forward, looking toward the barn. “Chrissy! Get your butt out here, girl!”

Chrissy poked her head outside, confused. When she saw the sheriff, a grin spread across her face. She jogged over and hugged him tightly. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey there, baby.” He pulled back and looked her over, a frown on his face. “These idiots aren’t working you too hard, are they?”

“I’m working far harder than any of them, but only because they’re all a bunch of lazy bums,” Chrissy replied, shooting a wink at Gus.

“That’s my girl.” Nedley stuck his hands in his pockets. “I’ll do my round out around the property, Gus, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Thanks, Randy. Be safe.”

“As long as you told Champ Hardy not to bring a gun onto the property, I think I’ll be just fine,” he joked. He patted Chrissy on the back. “Want to come along, kiddo?”

“Sure, Daddy.”

Both Nedleys got into the SUV, and it drove off in the direction of the pastures.

“The sheriff comes by once a week to do a loop around the property,” Gus explained, turning to Waverly and Wynonna. “He’s done it for years. He does it on most of the larger spreads like this.” She sneered. “Except for that Del Ray asshole.”

Wynonna raised her head quickly. “Who?”

“Robert Swain. He’s somehow both a secretive lunatic and the biggest narcissistic peacock you’ll ever meet.” Gus wiped her hands off on her apron. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s got a mass graveyard on his land instead of a pasture.”

“Comforting as always, Gus,” Wynonna said sarcastically, following her back into the house.

 

+++++

 

Waverly decided in the middle of the night that she was going to learn how to ride a horse.

Logic eventually won out over impulse, and she waited until it was daylight and she was out with Chrissy to actually give it a shot.

She realized quite quickly that she was _very very bad_ at riding horses.

First she couldn’t even get onto the horse, and Champ spent a good hour standing on the fence laughing at her before Chrissy managed to chase him away.

Then she couldn’t get Skull to _do_ anything once she was on him, and she felt like an idiot just sitting on top of a horse that was standing still in the middle of a paddock.

Then she managed to get him to move, and she immediately fell off, landing square on her back.

“Are you okay?” Chrissy asked, hurrying over to her and clearly trying not to laugh.

“The only thing bruised is my pride,” Waverly said. “And my dignity. And probably my body a little, too.”

“Waverly, what happened?”

“God, kill me,” Waverly groaned as Wynonna jumped the fence and hurried over to her.

“She got knocked off Skull,” Chrissy said, patting the horse absentmindedly as Wynonna hovered over the youngest hurt. “She seems fine.”

“Why don’t you take a break for today?” Wynonna asked, helping Waverly to her feet. “Get some ice. Maybe a drink.”

Waverly sighed. “Fair enough.”

 

+++++

 

“You’re sure you’re okay?” Wynonna asked again.

“I’m really sure,” Waverly replied. “I took some pain meds and I’ve got some water and some ice. “I’m _fine_.”

“Good.” Wynonna played with her soda. “For the record, I don’t know how to ride a horse, either. So at least you’re trying.”

“You could learn, too,” Waverly said.

“Uh, no. The only horsepower I like is engines. You can keep your cowgirl ways, Waverly Earp.”

“You live on a ranch now, Wynonna,” Waverly teased.

“Yeah, I know.” Wynonna looked off into the distance thoughtfully. “Do you think I could corral cattle with a motorcycle?”

 

+++++

 

They were still chatting when Willa came inside.

“Didn’t do anything again today?” she asked.

“Waverly fell off a horse,” Wynonna reported.

“You’re going to tell everyone, aren’t you?” Waverly groaned.

“I’d be more impressed if you stayed on,” Willa said. “Maybe you could start earning your keep.”

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed. “You know, you keep shooting your mouth off at us, but you haven’t actually let us _do_ anything. Your ranch hands have been showing us things here and there, but they’re afraid to give us jobs because you glare at us if we _don’t_ do anything and you glare at us if we _do_ do anything. It’s not our fault that we’re in this position, Willa. Our father put us all here. We can make the most of it, or we can sit here and live miserably for an entire fucking year. Is that really what you want?”

Willa stared at her for a moment. “I’ll think about it,” she said snippily, before turning and heading off towards her room.

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “Something tells me that we aren’t going to be getting ‘EARP SISTERS 5EVA’ tattoos on our biceps any time soon.”

“Probably not,” Waverly said, taking a sip of her water. “I hope it’s the right bicep, because I already have something on the left one.”

“No.”

“… Yes?”

“The tiny city baby of the family is the one with the tattoo?” Wynonna made a ‘gimme’ gesture. “Show it to me. Now. Or I’ll wrestle you to the ground and look, and you won’t enjoy that, I promise you.”

Waverly laughed and leaned away from her. “I’ll show it, I’ll show it, jeez.” She pushed up her shirt sleeve, revealing an intricate pattern of interwoven twigs that circled her arm between her shoulder and her elbow.

“I like it,” Wynonna declared. “Badass, but pretty.”

“I’m glad,” Waverly laughed. “It was a bit of a whim, but I’ve always liked it.”

“You’ve kind of ruined my life a little bit, though.”

“Why’s that?”

Wynonna sighed and took a drink. “Now I have to get a tattoo as soon as possible.”


	4. you better run from me

Waverly and Wynonna had each received some money from Ward’s estate to assist them with their relocation, and they went into town to spend some of it on vehicles.

“I am _so happy_ that I’m going to get a truck,” Wynonna said, practically drooling as her eyes scanned the lot.

“What do you think you’re going to get?” Waverly asked, her hands in her pockets.

“That robin egg blue Dodge Ram 2500 with vinyl seats and manual trans.”

Waverly laughed. “You’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you?”

“I was already on this place’s website last night.” Wynonna rubbed her hands together, excitement lighting her eyes. “What about you?”

“That firecracker red Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with the body color hard top.”

Wynonna squinted at her. “You’ve been doing your research, too.”

“Research has always been my thing.” As they headed towards the building of the car lot, Waverly said, “I’ve been looking into the ranch a bit. Just trying to find out some of its history.”

“Anything interesting?”

“It was one of the first ranches officially established in the state, when it was a recognized U.S. state. First built in 1890. We’ve always had cattle, but we only had chickens for a short time, around when you and I were little. The pigs are new as of our father. Our land used to also encompass the Del Ray Ranch, but our grandfather sold that spread to Robert Swain’s father a little over fifty years ago.”

“Del Ray, huh,” Wynonna mumbled.

“What’s up with you and them? You get weird every time it’s brought up.”

“Robert Swain told me that our father owes him part of our land.”

“What?”

“I told him to fuck off, because it wasn’t in the will.”

Waverly pinched the bridge of her nose. “Wynonna…”

“I know; I know.” Wynonna shrugged. “I just didn’t like the guy, okay? Something about him just… I didn’t like him. Trust me. I could tell there was something off about him.”

“Yeah; you’ll have that feeling again when he sues us.”

“It won’t come to that,” Wynonna promised. She hesitated. “Probably.”

Waverly groaned loudly. “Let’s just go buy these cars so that I can be free of you for the entire way back home.”

_“Rude.”_ Wynonna smirked. “You wanna know something even ruder?”

“Hm?”

“I lied. I totally know how to ride a horse.”

Waverly punched her shoulder, hard.

“Ow, what the fuck?” Wynonna whined, rubbing her arm.

“You’re a bastard,” Waverly grumbled.

“Well yeah, but that’s no reason to punch me.”

Waverly sighed loudly and shook her head. “It was easier when I could pretend I was an only child,” she muttered.

 

+++++

 

Wynonna decided that her view couldn’t quite get much better.

The scenery was nice, too.

She was riding behind Doc and Dolls as they headed out to check the fencing around the next pasture they were planning to move the cattle into, and they had invited her along, knowing she wanted to be more involved.

“So tell me,” she called ahead to them, patting her horse, Gunsmoke, on the neck. “How did you guys end up working out here?”

“I’ve lived in Purgatory my whole life,” Doc replied. “My daddy was the town physician before he died; that’s why the other kids at school gave me my nickname. Medicine’s a noble profession, but I was always more of a cowboy, and everybody knew it. I started working out here when I was fifteen, and I never looked back.”

“I actually have two jobs,” Dolls said. “I do this, and I’m also a volunteer firefighter. I’m actually from Billings, but I wanted something smaller. I found the firefighter post first, and then I found my way out here to the ranch.”

“Sounds a lot more exciting than my story,” Wynonna said.

Doc glanced over his shoulder at her. “And what would that tale be?”

“Here and there. I’ve spent the past few years wandering the country, honestly. I just couldn’t really find a place to settle.” She snorted. “This is the longest I’ve stayed in one place since I was nineteen.”

“At least you’ve gotten some experiences under your belt.” Doc tipped his hat at her. “That’s gotta be commended.”

“Mm. Maybe.”

Dolls pulled his horse to a stop. “Guys.”

Doc and Wynonna both halted as well. “What’s wrong?” Wynonna frowned.

“Something messed up with the fence,” Dolls said as he dismounted.

They all gathered by the spot he indicated and found that some of the wood had been broken in half and the metal wire was broken.

“Accident?” Wynonna asked, already knowing the answer.

Doc shook his head. “There are three cables and two beams broken. They couldn’t all fail at the exact same time. This has been done intentionally.”

Dolls skimmed a gloved hand over the shattered wood. “Question is… why?”

Wynonna patted her horse soothingly on the nose. “And who?”

 

+++++

 

Waverly broke out of the trance of the two-inch-thick history book she was reading when she heard the rumble of an engine heading up towards the house. She set her tome down on the living room table and headed out onto the porch.

A red motorcycle was pulling up, stopping at the end of the concrete. The rider stepped off of it, helmet tugging off in a single smooth motion.

Waverly couldn’t even be bothered to be ashamed of the way her jaw plummeted to her feet. The motorcycle was being ridden by a tall redhead. Her hair was cut at her chin, and she was in black boots, jeans, and a green sweater. Poking out of the top of the sweater was what looked like the collar of a tan plaid button-down shirt. Waverly’s mother had dated a military man for about a minute and a half, and she remembered absolutely nothing about him as a person, but she had always remembered the jacket that he had worn. The green field jacket that was almost identical to the one worn by the woman in front of her.

Waverly Earp would not have been afraid to admit that, in that moment, she might have fallen in love just a little bit.

As she coerced her legs to move and headed down off of the porch, a voice from the garage yelled, _“NIC!”_

Chrissy sprinted out of the garage and full-body tackled the redhead, her legs wrapping around the taller woman’s hips and her arms squeezing around her neck.

There was an embarrassing twitch of jealousy in Waverly’s gut that finally brought out the anxious shame of being this gone for someone just from looking at them, and Waverly lingered at the bottom of the steps, unsure of what to do.

Chrissy, laughing, dropped back down to solid ground and took the redhead’s face in her hands. “God,” she said, her voice cracking. “When did you get home?”

“Few days ago. Stanton told me you were out here, so I came to say hi.”

_“You’ve been here a few days and you haven’t called? Visited? Not even a smoke signal?”_

“Crap,” the redhead mumbled. Her brown eyes shifted and found Waverly, still awkwardly hovering. “Before you ream me out, you have an audience.”

“Hm?” Chrissy turned around and immediately flushed red. “Oh. Shit. Sorry. Waverly, c’mere.”

Waverly approached slowly, trying to ignore the way the redhead’s gaze followed her.

“Nicole, this is Waverly Earp. Waverly, this is Nicole Haught.”

Waverly shook her hand, convinced that she was imagining the way Nicole’s thumb brushed her skin gently. “Nice to meet you.”

“ _Very_ nice to meet you, too,” Nicole said with a grin that screamed both ‘trouble’ and ‘most charming person award’ all in one go.

Chrissy smacked Nicole’s shoulder. “Excuse me.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Nicole protested.

“You’re absolutely-”

“I checked everything over, Waverly,” the Sheriff said, walking out from behind the house. “You can tell your sisters that it was obviously cut, but I couldn’t see any evidence pointing to who did it. My guess is that it was kids goofing off and causing trouble. I’ll keep my eye out in case I see anything suspicious.” He looked up from his notepad and froze when he saw the woman standing next to Chrissy. “Nicole,” he whispered. He shoved his notepad into his pocket and picked up his pace. “Nicole,” he repeated.

She hurried forward as well, and to Waverly’s confusion, there were tears in her eyes. Nicole hugged Nedley tightly, a grin on her face. “Hi, Dad.”

Waverly blinked and looked at Chrissy. “Dad?”

“Nic and I have the same mom,” Chrissy explained. “But she was already born when our mom met my dad.” She winked at Waverly. “Doesn’t make either of them less stupid.”

“Oh, shut up, Chris,” Nicole muttered as she backed up out of the hug.

Nedley swallowed and cleared his throat. “I thought you weren’t getting back until next week?”

“They released me early.”

He squinted at her. “Clean bill of health?”

“ _Yes_ , Dad,” Nicole said, sounding exasperated. “I promised I wouldn’t come back without it.”

“Your stuff won’t be ready for a bit, so you’ll have free time.” Nedley raised an eyebrow. “Try not to get in trouble with it.”

“I’ve been back for like ten minutes and I’m already getting accused of shit,” Nicole protested. “Do you want me to get a job for a week?”

“Good idea!”

“Oh, no,” Nicole whispered.

Nedley patted her arm. “Why don’t you fix that fence up for the Earps? You’re good at that kind of stuff. Consider it a favor, since you still didn’t pay me back for not arresting you for going on a joyride with Mr. Pilson’s BMW.”

“First of all, that was ten years ago. Second of all, Mr. Pilson was a lot angrier when I went on a joyride with his _daughter_.”

Nedley sighed. “Nic.”

“I’m totally going to do it, but you just had to ask. I’m going to be bored as hell doing nothing for a week, anyway.”

“Hold on,” Chrissy said, raising her hand. “I’m losing track of what’s going on here. What job does Nic have?”

Nicole grinned at her. “You’re looking at Purgatory’s newest deputy.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.” Chrissy looked at her father. “You _knew_ she was coming back?”

“I said she was early.” Nedley shrugged. “I interviewed her over the phone a while ago. She took care of the paperwork and everything else while she was gone. Trust me; she’ll be fine.” He glanced at Nicole. “Won’t you?”

“The pointy end of the gun is supposed to face you, right?”

Nedley sighed and rolled his eyes, walking towards his SUV. “Kids,” he muttered under his breath.

“I should get back to work, too,” Chrissy said. She hugged Nicole again. “You’d better be at dinner tonight.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Wave here can help you out if you really are going to fix that fence for her.” Chrissy patted Nicole’s cheek just a little roughly. “Be nice,” she said seriously before heading back to the garage.

Nicole beamed at Waverly. “Sorry that you got caught in that. I’ve been gone for a while.”

“I gathered,” Waverly said, just a little overwhelmed. “You don’t really need to fix our fence for us. I think the Sheriff was kidding.”

“He wasn’t. But even if he was, I’m more than willing to help.”

“Thank you. We’ll need to get some supplies, though.” Waverly frowned slightly. “I… don’t think we have any. I’m not really sure. I’ll have to check around.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure I can manage.”

“Do you mind if I see what we have and what we need? I like to be prepared.”

“Sure. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Waverly nodded at the bike. “What kind of motorcycle is that?”

Nicole, who had been idly staring at Waverly, blinked rapidly. “Hm? Oh. It’s a Triumph Thunderbird Storm.”

“It’s really nice.”

“Yeah, I like it. I also have an olive green Harley Softail Slim S.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow. “Two bikes?”

Nicole shrugged. “I like them.”

“It’s November.”

“Yeah, I’m kind of pushing the weather, but I haven’t been able to ride them too much, so I want to get as much time in as I can.” Nicole ran her gloved hand over the metal. “Play your cards right, Earp, and I’ll take you for a ride sometime.”

“You mean you’ll take me _on_ a ride?”

Nicole smirked at her and got back onto the bike, starting it up. “That, too.”


	5. turned my world around

As Waverly helped Chrissy with hay bales in the barn, she asked, “So. It sounded like you haven’t seen your sister in a while.”

“Not too much. She’s been out of state for years. Only back a few times.” Chrissy paused to take a sip of water. “Nic went Army as soon as she turned eighteen. She did a good job, but she was gone a lot.”

“She seems nice.”

Chrissy laughed. “She is, but I’m glad you saw that through the sarcasm.” She adjusted one of the bales. “I love her to death. She’s always been a great big sister. I’m glad that she’s starting fresh, though. She needs something different.”

“I’m glad she’s finding it here.”

“… So am I,” Chrissy said carefully, studying Waverly’s blushing face.

They heard a motorcycle pull up outside, and Waverly cleared her throat. “That’ll be Nicole. To. Work on that fence.” She started backing up slowly. “Gotta go.” Before her friend could look at her more closely, she bolted out of the barn.

 

+++++

 

Nicole Haught was going to kill her.

She was still in her field jacket, boots, and jeans, but today she had forgone the sweater/button-down combo in favor of just a light orange flannel.

“Hey,” Waverly greeted. “You know, you really didn’t _have_ to do this. We have ranch hands.”

“Yeah, but if I don’t have tasks then I get bored.” Nicole’s eyes glinted. “You don’t want to know what happens when I get bored.”

“There’s tools, wood, and wire in the garage. Would you like help getting it…” Waverly blinked. “I guess you should borrow a truck?”

Nicole shook her head. “I’ll just take one of the ATVs.”

“The what?”

“You don’t know about the ATVs?” Nicole frowned. “Please tell me that Mr. Earp didn’t get rid of them.”

“Uhm…”

Nicole glanced over Waverly’s shoulder. “Chrissy! ATV?”

“Metal shed next to the garage,” Chrissy yelled back.

“Metal shed next to the garage,” Nicole repeated, returning her gaze to Waverly.

“Yeah, I heard her,” Waverly muttered.

“What?”

“I said I-” Waverly broke off when she saw that Nicole was grinning. “You’re a bit of a shit, aren’t you?”

“And proud of it.”

They opened the shed, revealing four ATVs, each in a different color. They sat on the floor of the shed, while on the wall rested two kayaks and two canoes.

“Yes,” Nicole whispered. She grabbed a set of keys off the wall and started the green ATV. “Want to come out there with me, Earp? You can take one of these beauties.”

“I’ve never driven one before,” Waverly admitted.

“You’ve never…” Nicole shook her head slowly. “Some day, Waverly Earp.”

“Some day what?”

“I’ll get you to live a little.”

 

+++++

 

Wynonna rode down a trail, leading Doc along a creek on Earp land. “I have a question that you might find odd.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you think… could Robert Swain be responsible? For that wrecked fence?”

Doc was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think so. He’s pushy and arrogant, and I don’t exactly like the man, but he respects people’s land.”

“Fair enough, but he also thinks that we owe him part of our land.”

“Hm.” Doc adjusted his hat and steered his horse around a particularly large rock. “You’re talking about that debt?”

“You know about that?”

“I’ve been here a long time, Wynonna. I know a lot about a lot. And I was _at_ that poker game.”

Wynonna groaned loudly. “My father lost part of his land in a _poker game_?”

“No. He did not.”

She turned her head, almost steering her horse into the water. “What?”

“Ward won that hand. Put me right on my ass, honestly. I usually know what I’m doing when I’ve got my fingers on a deck of cards. But I assure you, Wynonna. Robert Swain is not owed a damn thing. He’s just putting pressure on you.”

“He wouldn’t… I dunno, put a little _extra_ pressure?”

“No.” Doc stopped his horse. “And I know that, because he would never disrespect a man’s cattle.”

“I’m not sure one little broken fence would-”

“Wynonna,” Doc whispered.

“What?”

She followed his gaze to a spot on the opposite shore of the creek.

To the slaughtered body of a calf, an Earp brand on its flank.

 

+++++

 

Nedley drove out to the ranch and met with Wynonna and Willa.

“Where’s Waverly?” he asked.

“Taking care of that messed up fence,” Wynonna replied. “What do we do about _this_?”

“ _We_ don’t do anything,” Willa growled. “ _I_ have to figure out security patrols, apparently.”

“We own this place together now,” Wynonna said softly. “You don’t have to do everything yourself. Wave and I can help.”

Willa snorted. “Help? This shit didn’t start until you two showed up. Maybe one of you is doing it.”

“You really think I would slice up a cow like that?” Wynonna demanded. “I might eat cheeseburgers, but that’s a little ridiculous, Willa.”

“Calm down, both of you,” Nedley interrupted before Willa could respond. “I’m going to investigate, and I’m going to talk to everyone. I’m also going to make sure that there’s no way at all that some sort of wild animal killed that calf. Now. I do think that security patrols would be a good idea. I’ll also start having a second weekly run up here. I can send Nicole up once she starts next week.”

“Great. More babysitters who aren’t doing us any good.”

“There’s only so much I can do, Willa,” Nedley said. “There’s no _evidence_. I’m going to go talk to the hands. Then I’ll go talk to the other ranchers in the area. I’ll even have Stanton come out and talk to Chrissy, so there’s no conflict of interest. We’ll get to the bottom of it. It’s just going to take time.”

“Yeah, well.” Willa shot a glare at Wynonna. “Better start your questions right here.”

Nedley smiled thinly. “Good idea. Why don’t we go into the kitchen and get to talking, Willa?”

Wynonna tried not to laugh as rage lit in Willa’s eyes and she stalked towards the other room.

 

+++++

 

Waverly went out to check on Nicole’s progress and found, to her surprise, that the fence was almost completely finished.

“Wow,” she said as she climbed out of her Jeep. “You work fast.”

“I take pride in that.” Nicole finished securing the last piece of wire and leaned against the fence.

Her shirt sleeves were pushed up slightly despite the cold November air, and Waverly could see a tattoo of three chevrons on her forearm just below the tactical watch on her left wrist. Waverly gestured at it. “You were a sergeant?”

Nicole glanced down. “Yeah. I guess I had to leave the army before I got promoted again and it got awkward.”

“Do you want to have dinner with me?”

Waverly flushed bright red, stunned at herself for blurting out the question with absolutely no preparation or lead-in.

Nicole blinked at her. “What?”

“Uhm. Would. Would you like to have dinner with me?”

The silence between them dragged out to a point where Waverly was about to try to play it off as a joke, when Nicole finally said, “I greatly appreciate the offer. But I’m going to have to decline, Waverly.”

“Oh. Uhm. Okay.”

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck, and Waverly could see that the tips of her ears were pink. “I-I’m going to clean up this excess material and put it back where I got it, then I’ll head out, alright?”

“That’s fine,” Waverly said, her voice just a bit high-pitched. “Yeah. That’s. That’s fine. Thank you for fixing it.”

She practically ran back to her Jeep, trying not to hyperventilate, and she got out of there as quickly as she possibly could.


	6. grass ain't greener

“I’ve never had deer meat before,” Waverly said, watching as Gus and Ruthie bustled around the kitchen.

“Never?” Ruthie put her hands on her hips. “Girl, there are deer all over the place over where you’re from.”

“Yeah, but I don’t hunt. I mostly only see them as roadkill.” Waverly shrugged. “And I’m sorry, but I’m not picking those up to eat.”

“Wuss,” Gus teased.

“I’d rather be a smart coward than a dead idiot,” Waverly countered. She tried not to pale as she heard the distinctive sound of a motorcycle engine outside. “Is that Nicole?”

“Probably. Nobody else coming out here is stupid enough to ride a bike in the middle of winter.”

Gus lightly smacked Ruthie’s arm. “It’s only November.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And it’s not winter yet, so you should just call her an idiot for riding a bike when it’s freezing out.”

Ruthie snorted. “Sure.” She pulled back the curtain, and Waverly’s breath lodged in her throat.

Nicole was in her police uniform. Thick brown boots, black pants with a blue stripe down the side, a black long-sleeve buttoned shirt, a thick black and blue jacket, brown gloves, and a brown belt. The bike she was riding wasn’t her personal one; it was one Waverly actually recognized the model of, but it didn’t make much sense to her.

“That’s a Yamaha TW200,” she said. “Painted in police colors. Why is she using a sport bike for an officer’s motorcycle?”

Nicole had a few words with Wynonna, then revved her bike and rode it off into the fields.

“Oh,” Waverly said flatly. “I guess that answers my question.”

Gus and Ruthie both laughed. “Yeah, she wouldn’t make much ground with those street monsters she’s got at home,” Gus said. She frowned slightly. “Though, Lord knows why the fool is using a bike at all.”

“She’s a good girl,” Ruthie replied as she started slicing the deer meat. “We can leave her be about it.”

“Do you two know her well?” Waverly asked, hopefully casually.

“A bit. We obviously know Chrissy better, but Nic grew up around here. It’s hard not to know her.” Gus leaned against the counter, wiping her hands off on a towel. “Before she put the Army boots on, she spent every single weekend and every single day of summer vacation helping her granddaddy with his carpentry business. They fixed this place up more than a time or two.”

Ruthie snorted. “Kid should be fixing our rundown houses, not playing lawman.”

“Ruthie,” Gus warned.

“Well, am I wrong? She was _good_. I’m not saying she’s going to make a bad cop, I just don’t see it being her calling.”

Waverly paused, biting her lip. “Is she doing it just to please her step-dad?”

“Nah. Randy Nedley has never pressured those girls about their careers in their lives. He loves them too much.” Gus handed Ruthie a pan to put the meat into. “I don’t really know what that kid’s gotten herself into. I just hope she’s finding a way to let herself be happy.”

“So do I,” Waverly mumbled under her breath.

 

+++++

 

Wynonna was trying to find a barn cat that had snuck into the house when she found Willa in what had once been their father’s office, poring over a large map of the property.

“Hey,” Wynonna greeted, stepping inside. “What’s up?”

“Don’t you ever knock?” Willa demanded, jumping.

“Sorry.”

Willa shook her head and looked back at the map. “I’m trying to figure out what land was promised to Robert Swain.”

“What? No. I told you. That’s all just bullshit to take advantage of us.”

“According to Doc. For all we know, he was drunk.”

“For all we know, so was Swain.”

Willa met her gaze steadily. “It’ll be better for us if we do this.”

Wynonna snorted and sat down in a chair across from her. “In what universe? Our property will be worth _less_ , and we’ll have _less_ land for our cattle.”

“My land. My cattle.”

“Look, I’ve been trying to be nice,” Wynonna said with a slow, careful smile. “I really have. But I’m tired of your shit, Willa. This place is _ours_ now. You don’t have to like it. But you do have to accept it. Because it isn’t going to change.”

“I earned this ranch. I’ve been here my whole life. I never left. I _earned_ the right to call this place _mine_.”

Wynonna’s eyes softened just a little. “I know it isn’t fair. But Waverly and I never _chose_ to leave. This isn’t our fault, either. Please, just… Be a little understanding?”

Willa sighed heavily. “I guess I can give it a shot.”

 

+++++

 

“Is this like a dog show but with cattle?” Waverly asked, squinting out the window as they drove down the road, passing rows and rows of crops.

“There are no tricks, a lot of these things are being sold for slaughter, and you’re buying what you’re seeing.” Chrissy glanced at her from the driver’s seat of the truck. “So, no.”

“I was joking.”

“Sure you were.”

“If I think one of the cows is too cute to die, do I get to buy it to save its life?”

Chrissy laughed. “You’re going to be the worst rancher in history, Waverly Earp.”

“I’m okay with that.” Waverly rested her head against the cool window of the truck, feeling the vibrations through her skull. “Chrissy, I need to tell you something.”

“Sounds ominous. Go ahead.”

“It’s not… okay, I guess it might be depending on how you react.” Waverly took in a breath. “I asked your sister out on a date. Well, technically I asked her to dinner, but it was definitely a date.”

Chrissy suddenly pulled the truck over to the side of the road. She tossed it into park and turned to stare at Waverly. “Are you serious?”

“Er… yes?”

“I totally thought I was just imagining that you have a crush on her.”

Waverly covered her face with her hand. “Oh, god.”

“When’s the date?”

“Never, probably. Nicole turned me down.”

“What? Why?”

Waverly snorted. “I didn’t exactly ask for a review card, Chrissy. ‘Please pick a rating between one through five, and give reasons for your selection.’ Yeah, I can see that going well for a dating experience.”

“She was pretty clearly hitting on you when we were together, is all. I can’t figure out why she would say no.” Chrissy frowned. “Vexing.”

“Honestly, I kind of sprung it on her out of the blue. I don’t blame her. It’s not a big deal.”

“You’d be good together, though, I think.” Chrissy drummed her fingers on the steering wheel for a moment before putting the truck back in drive and merging back onto the highway. “You should come over for dinner tomorrow night. It’ll be me, Daddy, and Nic. No pressure. Just a way for you to get to know some people now that you’ve officially moved here, and all that.”

“Chrissy,” Waverly said, warning in her voice. “I don’t want to cause trouble.”

Her friend grinned at her. “Maybe I want to cause a little.” She patted Waverly on the knee. “Relax. It’s not going to be a big thing. I think it might be fun for you, and Nicole won’t take it the wrong way; I promise.”

“Okay,” Waverly agreed hesitantly. “Dinner it is.”

Chrissy gave a smile that made Waverly regret every choice she ever made. “Great!”

 

+++++

 

“Holy… _shit_ ,” Waverly whispered. “I knew cattle auctions were big, but this is a _lot_ of people. I don’t even know where to start.”

Chrissy patted her back roughly. “That’s why I’m here.”

“You should’ve brought a man with you. You’d get more done.”

Waverly and Chrissy turned around, coming face to face with a pale man about their age, staring creepily at them through his glasses.

“Uh… thanks for the advice, but we’re fine, I’m sure,” Chrissy said, giving him the barest of smiles.

“You really shouldn’t be here,” he said. “This place is for men who are serious about their ranches, not little girls who want to look at ponies.”

“I own a ranch,” Waverly growled. “I’m not here for a sideshow.”

He scoffed. “You’re just a little girl. What do you know?” He continued to stare as he said, “I’m Tucker Gardner. Owner of Widow Ranch.”

“Ohhhhhhhh,” Chrissy said, still giving that partial smile. “That’s that tiny spread out on the edge of town, right?”

Tucker glared at her. “We’re getting bigger,” he said. “Every day.” At that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

Waverly rolled her eyes. “That douchebag owns a ranch?”

“Depends on your definition of ‘owns’,” Chrissy said. “His parents left 65% control of the place to his oldest sister, Mercedes. His other big sister, Beth, controls 25%. Tucker was left with the measly 10%.”

“I’m sure he just loves that his _sisters_ own most of _his_ ranch.”

Chrissy snorted loudly. “Loves it like Champ loves going more than two hours without checking his hair in a mirror.”

Waverly gave Chrissy a sideways glance. “Do we have enough money to outbid Tucker? Even if it’s just on one auction?”

“Absolutely.”

She smirked. “Then yeah… let’s do that.”

 

+++++

 

Chrissy walked down into the basement gym at her father’s house, where she found her sister lifting weights.

“Aren’t you supposed to have a spotter?”

Nicole laughed lightly. “You volunteering?”

“I’ll just get you a Life Alert and hope that Dad comes and saves you in time.”

“Thanks.”

Chrissy leaned against the wall and watched Nicole for a moment. Her sister was in a tank top, and the sleeves were short enough that she could see the edge of a scar tracing up along the right shoulder, stopping well before the castle tattoo that sat on her bicep.

She wanted to talk about it. But not today.

“I spoke to Waverly.”

Nicole’s pattern hesitated for just a heartbeat. “Oh?”

“She said that she asked you out.”

“Yeah. Maybe. What does it matter?”

Chrissy scoffed. “She’s a nice girl, and she would be good for you.”

“Look, Chrissy, I just don’t know what you want from me. I like her. She’s pretty. I don’t think we should date right now.”

“That’s fine. She’s coming over for dinner tomorrow night.”

Nicole almost dropped the barbell, struggling for a moment as it lingered only a few centimeters off her chest. When she finally regained control and set it back in its holder, she sat up, giving her sister a horrified look.

“She’s _what_?”

“I invited her over for dinner.”

“What… _Why?_ ”

“She’s my friend. I can have my friends over for dinner.”

Nicole groaned and bowed her head. “Chris…”

“Also, you are forbidden from skipping out, on threat of death.”

Nicole groaned again and slumped back down on the bench. “Why did I come home?”

Chrissy beamed at her. “Because you love me.”

“No,” Nicole said dryly. “No; I don’t think that’s it.”


	7. to every soldier standin'

Waverly’s hands fluttered nervously at the edges of her skirt, trying to smooth it out.

It wasn’t a date. She had told herself that a thousand times by now. Nicole had turned her down, Chrissy had invited her over, and that was the end of it.

She just couldn’t stop being _nervous_.

“Dude, you have changed clothes about thirty times,” Wynonna complained, leaning in her doorway. “Where the hell are you going that’s got you so twisty?”

“Dinner with the Nedleys,” Waverly said.

“Well, you definitely don’t have a crush on the Sheriff,” Wynonna muttered, rubbing her chin like she was thinking deeply.

Willa appeared next to her in the doorway. “We can hope, at least.”

“I’m _assuming_ that you don’t have a crush on Chrissy, because you dumped a bucket of loose hay on her the other day, and since we aren’t six that’s probably not how you would show your affection.”

“It’s Nicole,” Willa said flatly. “Isn’t it?”

Waverly felt her face go bright red. “Why do I have to have a crush on anyone? Hm? Wh-Why can’t I just be going to dinner? An-And want to look nice? People care about their appearance, y’know, that’s a thing that happens. It’s not a big deal. It’s. It’s important.”

Willa and Wynonna exchanged a glance, and for the first time, unfortunately, Waverly truly felt like they were both her big sisters. “It’s Nicole,” they both said simultaneously.

“So you’re… gay? Or bi?” Willa asked curiously.

Waverly quite honestly had never really considered it. “I’m interested in Nicole.”

“Ha! She admitted it.”

_“Dammit,”_ Waverly groaned, shooting a glare at Wynonna.

“Don’t worry too much,” Willa said, her voice casual as she started to continue her way down the hall. “Wynonna was making out with Doc behind the barn last night.”

As Waverly turned a gleeful smirk towards her sister, Wynonna buried her face in her hands. “This is going to be the longest year ever.”

 

+++++

 

When Waverly got to the Nedleys’ home, Nicole opened the front door. She was back in the sweater/collared shirt combo, this time a mix of blue and gray, and Waverly’s eyes drifted to the tattoo just visible under the pushed-up sleeves.

“Hi,” she said. “I, uhm. I brought wine. It seemed polite.”

Nicole paused for a moment, just standing there, but then she grinned and nodded, stepping back to let Waverly into the house. “I’m sure Dad’ll love it. He might seem like he only does beer, but can I tell you a secret? That’s only for hockey games. Dinner nights are wine nights.”

“Good to know.”

“Waverly, glad you could make it.” Chrissy enveloped her in a hug, then pulled back and examined her. “You look lovely. Doesn’t she look lovely, Nicole?”

Nicole gave her sister a measured smile that sent a wave of horror through Waverly. “Yes, Chrissy, she does.” She held out a hand. “Here, Wave, I’ll put your coat away.”

“Thank you.”

When Nicole disappeared down the hallway, Waverly grabbed Chrissy’s arm. “You told her that you know about the date thing?” she hissed.

“Hell yes, I did. She’s an idiot.”

“Chrissy, I don’t need you bullying her into dating me.”

“I’m not,” her friend said innocently. “I’m just making sure she knows that she’s dumb for not at least giving you a shot.”

Waverly groaned softly. “This dinner might just kill me.”

Chrissy grinned and patted her on the back. “My dad’s not _that_ bad of a cook.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly sat across from Nicole, watching as she fidgeted with the bottle of Code Red she was drinking.

“So, uhm, Nicole. Gus said you used to do carpentry work with your grandfather?”

Nicole swallowed the forkful of chicken parm she was chewing and nodded. “Dad’s Dad. He showed me how to build birdhouses for Dad’s Mom when I was about six, and I was his right hand ever since.”

“I was all for it until he started showing her how to use a reciprocating saw,” Nedley said with a grin. “At _nine_.”

“Excuse me, I was a very mature nine-year-old.”

“What about you, Waverly?” Nedley asked. “What did you do before you ended up on a ranch in the middle of nowhere?”

“I got a degree in English from Drexel, which means that I was working in a Starbucks before I got here.” Waverly laughed and shrugged. “I might get my Master’s at some point, but I’m not sure what I would do with it.”

“Apparently, you’re going to use it to run a ranch in Montana,” Chrissy joked. “Interesting application of your skills.”

“Lot of that going around,” Nicole mumbled.

Nedley glanced over at her curiously, looking like he hadn’t actually heard her. “What?”

“Nothing,” Nicole said quickly. “Dinner’s good.”

“Yes, Sheriff, it’s amazing.”

“It’s Ruthie’s recipe, actually.” He winked at Waverly. “Just don’t tell her that.”

Waverly laughed, trying not to look at Nicole, who was fidgeting with her soda again. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Sheriff.”

 

+++++

 

After dinner, Waverly took a glass of water and wandered into the living room with Chrissy while Nicole washed dishes. Chrissy got down onto the floor to play with the family German shepherd, and a shadow box displayed on the mantle above the fireplace caught Waverly’s attention.

Her eyes skimmed over the military medals and ribbons displayed neatly. She didn’t recognize most of them, but two of them were familiar. One in particular stood out, and when Nedley walked into the living room, Waverly asked, “Sheriff, whose Silver Star is this?”

“Hm? Oh. That’s Nicole’s.”

Waverly turned to him, surprise shooting through her quickly. “Nicole has a _Silver Star_?”

He puffed his chest out a bit, and Waverly had to stop herself from grinning at the obvious pride on his face. “Yes. That whole box is Nicole’s.”

“Wow,” Waverly murmured, skimming her finger along the mantle wood as she examined each piece. She squinted at a tab sitting neatly above two sergeant’s rank pins. “What does ‘Sapper’ mean?”

“It’s one of the proficiencies.”

Waverly turned, seeing Nicole standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. There was a blank look on her face, and she was idly drying a plate. “Proficiencies?”

“I was a combat engineer.”

“Seems fitting.”

Nicole gave the barest of nods before her gaze shifted to her stepfather. “I asked you to put those away.”

“I just didn’t think about it,” Nedley said.

“Yeah. You should’ve.” She glanced at Chrissy. “And you should’ve minded your own damn business.” Nicole turned and headed back into the kitchen.

“I-I didn’t mean to…”

“No, Waverly, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Chrissy reassured her, getting up from the floor. “She’s just being stupid.”

“Chrissy,” Nedley said in a warning tone. “Leave your sister alone.”

“I’m just going to make sure she’s okay.”

“I should probably head out,” Waverly said. “It’s… getting pretty late.”

After a moment, Chrissy nodded. “Alright.” She hugged Waverly tightly. “I hope you, uh… had a good time?”

“I did. Thank you.”

When Chrissy went to the kitchen, Nedley led Waverly to the door. “I’m sorry if things got a bit awkward for you,” he said. “Nicole would throw that star out if it wasn’t for the fact that she knows my father would’ve been so damn proud of her if he had been alive to see her get it.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

Nedley patted her on the back amicably. “Don’t worry, Ms. Earp. She’s getting there.”


	8. and i can't breathe

A sudden wave of warm temperatures and a tip off from Wynonna sent Waverly to an undeveloped hot spring about a mile off of their land, on public property.

She was rather painfully aware that she just wasn’t used to hard, manual work. Ask her to write a forty page paper about the way fairy tales were adapted for the comic series _Fables_ , and Waverly Earp could sit in a library for two weeks to get it done.

Ask her to chop a log, and Waverly Earp would probably chop her own leg off.

The water soothed her aching muscles, but she had only just begun to relax when she heard the distinctive sound of an engine pulling up the path.

“Goddammit,” she mumbled as Nicole stopped her bike next to Waverly’s Jeep.

“Are you nuts?” Nicole demanded, getting off of her motorcycle. “I know it’s warmer this week, but that’s how idiots like you get sick and die.”

“I’m only going to be here for a few minutes, Deputy,” Waverly groaned.

Nicole blinked, suddenly realizing who was in the spring. “Waverly? What are you doing?”

“Relaxing. You should try it sometime.”

The deputy fidgeted with her pen. “Look, I’m sorry that I got a bit terse the other night. I’m just not a fan of being reminded of those awards.”

“It’s not a problem.” Waverly hesitated. “You know that if you ever need anybody, you can talk to me, right?”

Nicole licked her lips, a nervous tick Waverly had noticed before. “Shouldn’t be a concern.” She leaned against the Jeep. “I was serious, by the way. You shouldn’t be out here. It’s dangerous.”

A sudden wave of challenge rushed through Waverly, and she wasn’t even sure where it came from. On impulse, her problem-solving skills vanished, and her solution to Nicole’s questioning became to just stand up.

She wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Nicole’s jaw dropped at the exact same moment that her pen slipped from her grasp and fell into the dirt.

On a normal day, Waverly would apologize and sink back into the water and wait until Nicole left to retrieve her clothes.

Something about today stopped her. “What’s the matter, Deputy?” she asked sweetly. “You wanted me to get out of the spring.”

Nicole stammered nonsense as she scrambled to pick up her pen. “Get back in the spring,” she finally managed.

Waverly sunk back down up to her neck, grinning. “Yes, ma’am.”

There was a long pause as they just stared at each other. Then Nicole cleared her throat, pulled a notepad out of her back pocket, and started scribbling on it. “You know, Ms. Earp, you really are one of a kind.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” Nicole lifted up the windshield wiper of the Jeep and stuck a ticket under it.

_“Nicole,”_ Waverly yelped, grabbing for her clothes on the bank.

“Sorry, Ms. Earp,” Nicole said with a cocky smile. “Your car is parked illegally on county property.” Ignoring Waverly’s rambling protests, she got back onto her bike and rode away.

Waverly started pulling her shirt back on, glaring at the deputy’s rapidly disappearing back. “That woman,” she mumbled. “I’m no longer positive whether I want to punch her or make out with her for about a day and a half.”

She walked over to her Jeep, pulling the ticket out from under the wiper blade. With a sigh, she said, “Maybe both.”

 

+++++

 

“The little one is totally into me,” Champ said, fixing his hair as he led his horse through one of the far fields.

Chrissy and Dolls exchanged a glance. “Champ, I can say with a hundred percent certainty that Waverly Earp is _not_ interested in you.” Chrissy adjusted her cowboy hat, shading her eyes from the sun.

“You’re just sayin’ that because _you’re_ into me, too,” he sneered. “I know how to read a woman, Chrissy Nedley.”

Dolls snorted. “You don’t even know how to read a _book_ , James.”

“I do too!” he insisted. “I’ve read ten books!”

“In your whole life?” Chrissy raised an eyebrow. “How many of them were for school?”

“None. Who reads those stupid things?”

Chrissy rolled her eyes. “Should’ve seen that coming.”

Champ pulled at his horse, his face twisting into one of disgust. “What the fuck is that smell?”

“Oh, no,” Dolls whispered.

A few feet ahead of them, spread over a pile of rocks, was a slaughtered cow.

 

+++++

 

Nicole got off of her bike and met Willa and Wynonna at the foot of the porch. “Hey. The Sheriff said you had another slaughtered animal?”

Willa nodded. “Cow. Up by Kingston’s Well.”

“Jesus, Willa, what the hell is going on up here?”

“That’s for you to tell me, isn’t it?” Willa sighed heavily. “I have to have go help wash out the pig pens. You can have Chrissy take you up there.”

As she headed off, Wynonna said, “Chrissy’s out with the boys, moving the cattle again. They’ve been trying to move them a bit more frequently than normal, just to try to cut off whatever is doing this.”

“Oh. Okay. Well. I can find my way up there myself. I’ve been there plenty.”

“Yeah, sure, but you shouldn’t go alone.” Wynonna smirked, catching sight of Waverly getting out of her Jeep. “You can go with Waverly.”

“U-Uh… That’s okay…”

“I insist.” Wynonna raised her voice. “Waves! You’re going with Nicole out to that cow!”

Waverly visibly paled. “Why?”

“Because I want you to!”

Waverly shot a glance at Nicole, who couldn’t help but fidget awkwardly where she stood. “Well…” She seemed to realize that it was a lost cause, and she bowed her head with a sigh. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

 

+++++

 

They rode separate ATVs out to the spot, not speaking to each other the entire time.

As Nicole looked over the crime scene, Waverly said, “Y’know, I’m going to fight that ticket you gave me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, Haughtshot.”

Nicole snorted. “You think I’ve never heard that one before.”

Waverly put her hands on her hips. “You can’t ticket me just because you’re grumpy.”

“I’m not grumpy, Ms. Earp.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Waverly leaned against a tree, watching Nicole examine the slices along the cow’s stomach. “Maybe you’re just being weird because you refuse to dress properly for the weather. Or drive something that has heating.”

“I missed the cold when I was in Afghanistan,” Nicole replied absentmindedly.

“… Oh.”

“Whoever did this knew what they were doing,” Nicole said.

“What?”

“The cow.” Nicole gestured at the cuts. “They’re brutal, yes, but they’re all extremely precise. They were done by somebody who knew how to butcher an animal.”

“Does that narrow it down?”

Nicole smirked at her. “Out here?”

Waverly paused. “Good point.”

“The good news is, I know _you_ didn’t do it.”

“Excuse me?”

Nicole stood and walked over to her, taking Waverly’s hands in hers and idly rubbing them with her thumbs. “I know how to tell when someone’s hands have never cut apart a carcass before in their life. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that _maybe_ you’ve handled a chicken or turkey. But not much else.”

Waverly’s eyes glazed slightly, zoning out into the feeling of Nicole rubbing her hands. Then, just as quickly, she snapped back into reality and pulled them back. “Was I ever a suspect at all?”

“Everyone’s a suspect until they aren’t, Waves,” Nicole said, turning back to look at the cow. “That’s really the only way to handle this.”

“Well, now that you know it wasn’t _me_ , maybe we can talk sometime about it all? I have some thoughts, but I need to get them together properly.” Waverly flushed. “Don’t worry; I’m not hitting on you again.”

Nicole chuckled softly. “Relax, Waverly. I get it. Why don’t you come by my place tomorrow? We can talk this stuff out. I live at 404, the intersection of 5th Street and Market Street.”

“I thought you lived with your dad.”

“Hm? Oh, no. I go there to work out because my equipment isn’t set up yet, but I don’t live there.”

“Soldier, carpenter, athlete, cop… Is there anything you _don’t_ do, Deputy Haught?”

Nicole grinned at her. “You’re gonna have to just wait and find out, Ms. Earp.”

 

+++++

 

Late at night, Wynonna met with Doc, Dolls, Chrissy, and Shorty inside the barn.

“We need to start doing more,” she announced. “I know that this is just one fence and two cows, and it might not be anything. But I don’t like it.”

“I don’t like it either,” Dolls said. “We should have more patrols. Get the fences tightened up. Even if this _is_ nothing, maybe it’ll stop a lot faster if we’re proactive.”

“Are we not going to talk with Willa about this, too?” Shorty asked.

“She gets pissed at me every time I try to talk to her about this place,” Wynonna growled. “I’m tired of dealing with her. If she won’t take this upon herself, I’m going to do it for her.”

“I’m in,” Chrissy murmured. “I’m tired of the feeling I get when I’m out checking the cattle.”

Dolls and Shorty nodded in agreement. Wynonna turned to Doc. “And you?”

“You’re playing a dangerous game here, Wynonna,” he said softly.

“Yeah. I know. Are you going to play, too?”

Doc smirked. “All in, darlin’.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly sat down at her computer, compiling all of the research she had put together on the incidents going on at the ranch.

As she considered what she would be doing the next day, her thoughts drifted.

And she decided to research Nicole Haught.


	9. you said

Nicole Haught lived at a small house near the woods, down a dirt road not too far from her stepfather’s home. Waverly pulled her Jeep to a stop behind a Hummer H2 SUT. As she got out and headed for the front door, she heard Gloriana blasting from the small barn at the end of a turnoff from the driveway, where an ATV was sitting.

As the song faded, before the next one could start, Waverly beeped the lock on her car and paused in the driveway. After a moment, the door of the shed opened, and Nicole stepped out.

“Oh. Hey. You’re early.”

“You said noon, didn’t you?”

“Yeah…” Nicole glanced at her watch. “Oh.”

Waverly swallowed, staring at Nicole’s hands. “What, uhm… What have you been up to today?”

“Hm?” Nicole looked down at herself, seeing her bloodstained apron and hands. “Whoops. I forgot.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m dressing a deer.”

“Wh-What?”

Nicole gave a light laugh. “I went hunting this morning. I shot a deer. Do I need to show you my .260 Sako Finnlight as proof?”

Waverly cleared her throat. “No. No; I’m fine.” She nodded at the Hummer. “I see that you do, in fact, own a car.”

“Not much of a _car_ , but yes.”

“Drive it much?”

“Nope.” Nicole pointed at the house. “Why don’t you head inside? The boys are watching television. They’ll keep you company. I’ll only be a few more minutes.”

Without any clarification, she headed back into the barn.

“This woman is so weird, but so hot,” Waverly mumbled under her breath as she walked towards the house.

 

+++++

 

‘The boys’ ended up being a pair of American Foxhounds, sitting happily on dogbeds in front of a television that was playing _Legends of the Hidden Temple_.

“They’re big fans,” Nicole explained as she came in, taking a seat in the chair opposite Waverly and clicking the television off. “Attano, Frye, go eat your lunch.”

The dogs happily trotted off into the kitchen, and Nicole said, “So. You have thoughts on this mess?”

Waverly nodded. “I think that Robert Swain could be involved in this.”

“What, that douchebag? He’s an ass, but I dunno. He pretty much keeps to himself in his little camp of weirdos.”

“Well… he hasn’t been my _only_ thought.”

Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Sounds ominous. What’cha got?”

Waverly hesitated, fidgeting with her bag. “Willa.”

_“Willa?”_

“Wait, okay? Just hear me out. She acts _so weird_ , all the damn time, and she refuses to work with me and Wynonna. I know she hates us being around. Couldn’t she be doing this to try to scare us off?”

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck. “I mean… I _guess_? I’ve known Willa most of my life. We were in school at the same time. Different grades, but. It’s not that big of a school system, y’know? It’s hard for me to believe that she’d ever do anything that would hurt that ranch. She’s spent every day since birth, practically, dedicated to it. Her mom died when she was young, so she was pretty much stuck with a dad more interested in his cattle than his kids. So she got interested in them, too. I can’t really picture her doing anything to damage that.”

“That… makes sense. I don’t know her very well.”

“Hardly your fault.”

“It must seem weird, though, to you. You and Chrissy seem really close.”

Nicole grinned. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

Waverly fidgeted with her bag again, avoiding Nicole’s eyes. “I… Those were the only two people I really had thoughts on. I just didn’t want to say them when we were still back at home. Uhm…”

“You look like you want to say more,” Nicole said, tilting her head to one side.

Waverly took in a deep breath before blurting out, “I looked you up.”

“What?”

“On the internet. I looked you up. Found some newspaper articles.”

Nicole’s eyes darkened. “I doubt you found anything worth your time.”

“Worth my time? Nicole, you drove a civilian truck into a shooting gallery of terrorists in order to pull your fellow soldiers out of the line of fire. You went back in _over and over and over again_ , until the truck got hit by an explosion and flipped over. You were shot _and_ burned, but you still managed to save five soldiers.”

“Yeah,” Nicole whispered. She stared at the floor, her hands gripping her knees so tightly that her knuckles were white. “I guess that article didn’t say anything about how I was trapped in that car, watching as three other soldiers were blown up by an IED that the terrorists pushed them towards with their gunfire?”

Waverly shook her head, her voice soft. “No.”

“If I had picked one of the Army vehicles, it would’ve been fine. I could’ve warned them. But the door had caved in and everything was mangled. I couldn’t get out and the horn didn’t work. The shooters were just _toying_ with them. The worst thing? The reason I don’t deserve the goddamn medals I got for that bullshit? Do you know how I knew they were headed for an IED, Waverly? I’m asking you. Do you?”

“… No.”

“Because I had seen it before the gunfight broke out. I was going to disarm it, but I got distracted. Decided to play the fucking hero and go in for those other guys. And three people died because of it.”

Waverly was quiet for a moment, watching as Nicole’s shoulders slumped, as if she was finally letting it all out for the first time. “You know, Nicole,” she said quietly. “Three people died. But five people _lived_.”

Nicole laughed bitterly. “Sacrifice the one to save the many?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that you made a choice under fire, and you saved lives. You’ll never know if it was the right one or not. It just… _is_.”

Nicole nodded heavily, rubbing at her mouth. “Do you want to know why I don’t drive anything other than bikes and ATVs much?”

“Tell me.”

“Because I don’t want to feel that fucking useless again. I was driven around for a while over in the dessert in military trucks and it was fine. I felt fine. I have that Hummer out there in case I need a vehicle in an emergency, because it’s the closest I can get to that kind of security. Otherwise I’ll use a bike or something open, because I can get out with ease if someone ever needs my help.”

Waverly set her bag down on the floor. “Did you come home as a cop so that you could help people?”

“I came home as a cop because I needed a job and needed to feel like I was part of a unit again. That’s not very noble, but my father supported my efforts, so I took the offer when it presented itself.” Nicole bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Waverly, but I’m just not a hero. No matter what some article you Googled told you.”

“That doesn’t matter to me, you know,” Waverly said softly. “If that’s what you’re worried about. I like you whether you think you’re a hero or whether you’re just a vet with a handful of medals to your name or whether you’re just a carpenter cop. Okay? You don’t have anything to prove to me. Or _fake for me_ , with your snarky confidence.”

Nicole grinned at her, the slowly waning uneasiness in her eyes all that remained of their conversation. “Who the fuck is _faking_? This is _real_ snarky confidence, thanks very much.”

“Oh, really? Why don’t you ever use it, then?”

“… Fine.” Nicole got to her feet quickly. She walked over to Waverly, cupped her face in her hands, and kissed her hard on the mouth. “I’m not taking back that ticket I gave you, no matter how much flattery you toss at me,” she mumbled against Waverly’s lips.

“You’re such an ass,” Waverly muttered, grabbing Nicole by the collar of her shirt and tugging her down onto the couch with her.


	10. the way it goes

“I told you that you’d figure it out.”

Waverly gripped the reigns of her horse so tightly that her knuckles were white, nervously letting it lead her after Wynonna down a trail. “Doesn’t mean I’m not scared out of my mind right now.”

“You need to relax,” Wynonna said sharply. “Horses sense what their riders feel. If you’re scared, so are they.”

Waverly, her fingers trembling, stroked the side of Skull’s neck to calm him. “What are we going to do, Wynonna? About all of this… All this _death_?”

Wynonna paused for a long moment. “I’ve been having the hands run more night patrols, and Doc and Dolls have been working on making the fencing more secure.”

“What?” Waverly frowned at her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“… You didn’t trust me, did you?”

Wynonna didn’t look back at her. “I do trust you, Waverly,” she murmured. “I just don’t know you yet. It’s easier for me to assign a job and then step away and look at the bigger picture than it is for me to try to connect to somebody who might actually matter. Might _really_ matter.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m not very good at having family.”

“Well,” Waverly said carefully. “Tough shit.”

“What?”

She waited until Wynonna looked back at her startled. “You’ve got one now. So no more of the lone wolf crap, huh?”

Wynonna gave a slow grin. “I’ll give it a shot.”

 

+++++

 

Chrissy stopped her raking as she heard Nicole’s motorcycle pull up in the driveway. She met her big sister out front, watching as Nicole pulled off her helmet and set it down on the seat.

“You didn’t have to wear the hat, you know, asshole,” Chrissy called, smirking. She smacked the bill of Nicole’s ballcap, flipping it off of her head. “And backwards? How gay are you?”

“Dude, is that really a question you need to ask?” Nicole picked her hat up, brushed it off, and put it back on.

“Guess not.” Chrissy frowned. “What’s up? Here to visit your poor, hard-working little sister? Or was there another animal found?”

“Oh. Uhm.” Nicole pulled her hat back off and worried it between her fingers. She gave a small, shy grin and said, “I-I was actually hoping I’d find Waverly around.”

Chrissy laughed. “Holy shit. What did you two do?”

“Nothing,” Nicole mumbled. “Just. Maybe kissed a little.”

“A little, huh? Is that how you’d define that hickey on the side of your neck?”

Nicole paled. “Oh, shit.” She zipped her jacket up to her chin. “Dad’s gonna kill me. You know how he is about anything being visible when in uniform; the only reason my tattoos are okay is because they’re military and I already had them.”

“Forget Dad.” Chrissy jabbed a finger into Nicole’s sternum. “ _I’m_ gonna kill you. You made out with Waverly and didn’t immediately call me? I’m _offended_ , Nic.”

“Look, it wasn’t exactly planned. We talked. And we ended up kissing on the couch.” Nicole’s gaze went distant. “She is a very good kisser.”

“Gross.” Chrissy put her hands in her pockets. “Hey. Setting all that aside for right now. Are we okay? We haven’t really talked since that dinner, and I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to shove you out of your comfort zone before you’re ready.”

“We’re fine, Chrissy.” Nicole set her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I get it, okay? You and Dad are trying to help. I can’t promise that I’ll always react positively to it all. It’s tough, y’know? But I get it, and I’m not going to hold a grudge when you’re both truly trying to help.”

Chrissy moved forward and hugged her tightly. “Good. Because I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Nic.”

“You aren’t going to. I promise.”

“Well,” Chrissy mumbled, her voice muffled against Nicole’s shoulder. “I might if Dad kills you over that hickey.”

Nicole groaned and shoved her away from her. “Go to hell.”

 

+++++

 

Wynonna and Waverly stopped their horses when they reached a fence at the edge of their property.

“Whose land is on that side?” Wynonna wondered curiously.

“It’s mine.”

“Oh, great,” Waverly muttered under her breath.

Robert Swain rode his horse up to the other side of the fence and shot them a grin. “How are you ladies doing today?”

“Well, Robert, we were fine until we had to see you,” Wynonna said. “Then our day became pretty damn shitty.”

“That’s not very nice, Ms. Earp.”

Wynonna gave him a humorless smile. “I’m not very nice.”

“Look, ladies, I’m not trying to make life difficult for you. I just want what I’m owed.”

“We don’t owe you shit,” Waverly growled. “Our father wasn’t indebted to you.”

Robert smiled. “That’s what you think.” He looked at Waverly and his smirk widened. “You both think you know everything there is to know about this ranch. About family. But you don’t know the first thing about being out here. And sooner rather than later, you’ll learn the hard way that the smartest thing you Earps can do is give me what I want.”

“Why don’t you shut the fuck up,” Wynonna snarled.

“I’m just trying to be helpful, Ms. Earp.” Robert turned his horse back in the direction he had come from and started to leave before calling back over his shoulder, “You’re going to need all the help you can get!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be posting anything for the next few days, as I'm off to NYCC.
> 
> For updates on stories and other stuff, be sure to find me on Tumblr @youreagoodliar


	11. right on through that bedroom door

The youngest Earp sisters arrived home in a rush of fury, rage taking over Waverly’s nerves and allowing her to direct her horse with confidence.

Nicole and Chrissy, standing on the porch, watched them with worry.

“What happened?” Chrissy prompted.

“Robert Swain,” Wynonna snarled. “He wants part of our land, and he’s going to be a smarmy bastard about it until we hand it over.”

“He threatened you?” Nicole frowned and pressed her palms against the railing as if forcing herself to stay calm. “Are you okay?”

“We’re fine,” Waverly replied. “It wasn’t so much a _threat_ as it was a _frustration_.”

“Deputy Haught, quick question, how much legal trouble would I get into if I beat the shit out of him the next time I see him?”

Nicole smirked at Wynonna. “Probably a lot if you let my father catch you.”

Chrissy smacked her arm. _“Or you, Nicole.”_

“Uh-huh. Definitely.”

“If I ever get arrested, I’m calling you, Haught,” Wynonna said with a grin. She stuck her hands in her pockets. “What are you doing up here, anyway?”

“Oh.” Nicole blinked and shot a glance at Waverly. “I-I was just here to speak to your sister, but I can come back later if you guys are busy.”

“No,” Waverly said, just a bit too quickly. “It’s fine. We can talk now.” She grabbed Nicole by the wrist and pulled her into the house.

Wynonna squinted, watching them go. “Hell. Did those idiots finally work their shit out? About time.”

Chrissy rolled her eyes and leaned against the porch railing. “Yeah. They’ve moved to the kissing stage. I’m not sure either of us wants to know what stage they’re going to get to up there.”

“Oh. Great.” Wynonna shivered. “Thanks a lot for that image, Nedley.”

Chrissy sat down on one of the porch chairs and took a sip of a bottle of soda. “If I have to picture it, Earp, so do you.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly and Nicole sat on the edge of Waverly’s bed.

“You’re really okay?” Nicole asked softly.

“Yeah. But I really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

Nicole kissed her on the cheek. “What do you want to talk about?”

Waverly stroked her jaw and met her gaze. She had never seen eyes more brown than Nicole Haught’s.

She was pretty sure she could drown in them.

She didn’t even care.

“I don’t want to talk at all,” Waverly whispered. She leaned forward, kissing Nicole hard on the mouth.

Nicole savored it for a moment before pulling back. “Are you sure?”

“As sure as I’ve been about anything.”

“Okay,” Nicole murmured. She shifted slowly, lying Waverly down on the bed underneath her. She swallowed, her eyes diverting away from Waverly’s face as her own heated red with embarrassment. “Uhm. Y-You should know… M-My back’s kinda. Screwed up. From the burns and gunshot.”

“Does it hurt at all?”

“Not anymore.”

Waverly skimmed her fingers up the back of Nicole’s shirt, making her shiver. “Then why would I mind, Nicole?”

She stared down at her, hesitant. Then she surged forward and kissed her.

 

+++++

 

Nicole, panting, rolled half on top of Waverly and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “Goddammit,” she mumbled.

“Not really the reaction I was going for, Nic,” Waverly joked breathlessly.

“Trust me, Waves, that was not directed at you.” Nicole brushed her fingers up Waverly’s stomach slowly. “I just have to go to work.”

“What if I’d rather you stay here and work on round three?”

Nicole gave a strained laugh. “If my father wouldn’t kill me for it, I’d take you up on that, baby, trust me.” She got out of bed carefully and picked her jeans up from the floor. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Not sure yet. Why?”

“You should go on a date with me.”

Waverly smirked. “A date?” she asked, pointing at the door. “Or a _date_?” She pointed at her naked chest.

Nicole’s ears flushed red. “A real date,” she mumbled. “I guess.”

Waverly tugged her down by her shirt and kissed her, long and slow. “Sounds like a plan, Deputy.” She shoved aside the sheets and got up. “Give me a second. I’ll walk you out.”

 

+++++

 

Chrissy and Wynonna were sitting on the chairs on the porch, playing checkers and drinking beer.

“Howdy,” Wynonna greeted with a smirk. “How are you both doing?”

“… Fine,” Waverly replied suspiciously.

Chrissy moved one of her pieces on the board. “Did everything go okay with your… _talk_?”

Nicole’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. It did.”

“We weren’t sure,” Wynonna said, amusement bright in her eyes. “We thought maybe Waverly had gotten broken, since she just kept screaming your name over and over again.”

“Nope.” Nicole walked straight off the porch, heading for her bike. “Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.”

“Coward!” Waverly yelled after her.

“Excuse me, Earp, there’s a “V” device on my Army Commendation medal,” Nicole shot back as she picked up her helmet and got on her bike. “Nobody’s ever called me a coward.”

“Exactly how many times did you fuck my sister, Haught?”

Nicole paled, shoved her helmet onto her head, and rode her bike off down the drive.

Waverly punched Wynonna’s shoulder. “I hate you. So much.”

Wynonna shrugged and took a sip of her beer. “I have like, what, twenty-one years of big sister bullying to catch up on? Gotta make it count.” Her gaze shifted to Chrissy, and a worried frown formed on her face. “Are you crying, Chrissy?”

“No.” Chrissy rubbed at her eyes, grinning as she shook her head. “No, it’s just… That’s the first time. Since Nic’s been discharged. That I’ve heard her talk about her medals without sounding like she hates herself for them. Like maybe, just maybe, she thinks she deserves a couple of them.” She fidgeted with one of her black checker pieces. “I’ve wished for that day for a very long time.”

 

+++++

 

“I thought this was going to be a group sister bonding event,” Willa said dryly as she led her horse after Wynonna’s along the fence line.

“Yeah, well. Waverly has a _date_.”

“A date?”

“Mhm.”

“With Haught?”

“Yep.”

Willa was silent for a moment. “I suppose she could do worse.”

Wynonna let out a loud laugh. “Tell us how you really feel about the subject, Will.”

“I’m just not sure some mentally deranged veteran playing cop is the best choice for an heir to the Earp ranch. That’s all. What can she really bring to the table for us?”

Wynonna frowned. “Okay, Nicole isn’t _mentally deranged_. She’s a bit weird, sure, but Waverly seems truly, genuinely happy. Nic’s a pretty nice kid once you get under that cold shell a bit. They’re good together. Trust me.”

“Hm. I’ll believe that she’s worth it when I actually see some evidence.”

“C’mon, Willa, don’t give Waverly and Nicole such a hard time. They’re-” Wynonna broke off suddenly. “Oh, Jesus fucking _Christ_!” She jumped off her horse and took off at a run.

“Wynonna? _Wynonna!_ ” Willa followed suit, sprinting after her sister.

She found the middle Earp standing, frozen, near a broken piece of fencing, staring down at the mangled body of Shorty.


	12. just like i wasn't scared at all

“That’s not one I usually use for hunting,” Nicole said as Waverly picked up a Remington Model 783 from the line of guns laid out on a table between them. She pointed at a silver and black rifle further down. “I usually use that one.”

“But this one has a sight,” Waverly said with a pout.

Nicole laughed. “Your aim is gonna be just fine.”

Waverly set the gun back down on the table. “What else do you have here?”

She pointed at each weapon in turn. “My police weapon, a Sig Sauer P226 Stainless Elite. My backup, a .357 Taurus 605B2 revolver. And then the stuff that’s solely personal weaponry. Nighthawk Tri Cut Carry 9mm, Remington Model 700 SPS Varmint, Colt M4 Carbine, the two rifles I already told you about, and _this_ beauty.” Nicole picked up a large handgun, smirking. “You’re not ready to use this yet.”

“Why’s that?”

Nicole flicked the safety off and turned, aiming the gun at a cantaloupe she had set up at as a target a few feet from them. She waited until Waverly had put her ear protection on, then fired.

Waverly felt the vibration in her chest, and her jaw dropped as the cantaloupe exploded. “What the fucking hell _is_ that?”

_“That,”_ Nicole said as she set the gun back down, “is a Smith  & Wesson Model 500.”

“What’s it for, Bigfoot?”

Nicole shrugged. “Bears?”

“Oh.” Waverly stared at the gun briefly. “You’re sure I’m not ready for it?”

“Sorry, babe. But no.” Nicole reached out and took Waverly by the hand, pulling her around to the other side of the table. She kissed her slowly, gripping her hips. “I almost went and got, like, a _little tiny_ gun for you.”

Waverly nipped at the underside of her jaw. “If I were you, I’d be nice to me,” she mumbled. “Never know what might happen to you if you don’t.”

Nicole grinned against her lips. “Would you like me to shut my mouth, or would you like a lesson? Can’t have it both ways.”

“Guns. Definitely.”

“And here I was worried that you’d think this was a bullshit date,” Nicole joked, picking up the Nighthawk.

Waverly beamed at her. “Never.”

Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly from the back, showing her how to grip the gun. She pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and mumbled, “Squeeze the trigger. Don’t pull. _Squeeze._ ”

She emphasized the last word by pushing her hips against Waverly’s back, and she chuckled as Waverly whimpered.

“Problem, Ms. Earp?”

“You’re-”

They both groaned as Nicole’s phone rang. As she set the gun back down on the table, Nicole grumbled, “What son of a bitch…” She read the called ID on her cell phone and flushed. “Whoops. Sorry, Grandma.” Waverly laughed loudly as Nicole answered the phone with, “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

Waverly could see Nicole’s face darken. She listened in silence for a minute, then somberly said, “I understand. Yes, sir. Be careful, okay? … I love you, too.”

The moment she hung up, Waverly asked, “What is it? Nicole, what’s wrong?”

Nicole’s eyes were sad as she looked at her. “Waverly…,” she whispered. “I-I have something I have to tell you.”

 

+++++

 

“You didn’t have to do this,” Waverly said softly as Nicole pulled her Hummer to a stop just outside of the main house.

“Yes,” Nicole whispered. “I did.” She took Waverly’s chin and turned her head, leaning forward to kiss her gently. “You’re not in a condition to drive, Waverly. It’s okay. You can pick your Jeep up later.” She nodded towards the barn, where Willa, Wynonna, and a few of the other hands were talking amongst themselves. “Go be with your sisters.”

“I-I love you,” Waverly blurted out.

Nicole blinked, startled, and pulled back slightly. Waverly seemed to snap out of a daze and flushed bright red. “I-I-I… I have to go,” she stammered.

She practically fell out of the Hummer, needing to double back to grab her purse after she forgot it, and then went over to her sisters at a near sprint.

Confused and flustered, Nicole climbed out of the truck and leaned against it, her hands in her pockets as she watched the group talk.

“Nic,” Chrissy breathed, coming up to her and pulling her into a tight hug. She buried her face into Nicole’s shirt as she cried.

“Shh,” Nicole whispered, rubbing her back gently. “It’s alright. It’s gonna be alright.”

“No, it won’t.” Chrissy looked up at her, tears in her eyes. “What’s _happening_ here, Nicole? I-I don’t understand. Who would want to do this?”

“I don’t know,” Nicole admitted. “But this isn’t vandals. This is worse. There’s something _more_ going on here.” She let her gaze linger on Waverly, who so far had avoided looking back at her. “I just need to figure out what.”

 

+++++

 

The funeral was somehow sadder than the one Wynonna had attended for her own father. She couldn’t quite explain it.

It might have just been because she actually _knew_ – actually _missed_ –Shorty.

“I’ve been doing more security patrols,” she murmured to Willa as they walked away from the cemetery, side by side. “Strengthening the fences. And it didn’t do a damn thing to help anybody.”

“You did all of that without telling me?”

Wynonna gave a sighing laugh. “I thought you’d mock me for trying to help.”

Willa was quiet for a moment, watching the sky. “I probably would have.” She paused. “But I shouldn’t. It’s a good idea.”

“Maybe you were right,” Wynonna said dejectedly, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Maybe it’s better to just give Robert what he wants. Less land means less land for one of us to die on, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps.” To Wynonna’s surprise, Willa gripped her shoulder. “But honestly, Wynonna? I think that, right now? Is the _worst_ time to show _any_ weakness.”

“Glad you agree,” Wynonna said, her voice hardening. “Because I think we’re going to have to show that strength.” She pointed further in front of them, where Robert Swain was talking to Waverly.

 

+++++

 

“Please just leave me alone,” Waverly said quietly. “This is a funeral, for _fuck’s_ sake. It’s not the time for whatever bullshit you want to try to manipulate me with.”

“Ms. Earp,” Robert said, smiling. “This is the _perfect_ place for this conversation. Don’t you understand? These things could be avoided if there was less land for you little ladies to have to handle all by yourselves.”

_“Excuse me?”_ Waverly got in his face, her entire body shaking. She didn’t even notice Nicole out of the corner of her eye, walking towards them with concern and anger on her face. “You don’t know a goddamn thing about whether we can _handle_ our ranch. If you come near me or my sisters again, I’ll-”

Robert laughed. “You’ll _what_? What are you going to do? Go to the courts and tell them that you’re being harassed because you refuse to give me land that’s rightfully mine?” He shoved a finger against Waverly’s collarbone, knocking her back a step as he growled, “I want what’s mine, Earp. And you’re going to-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence, because at that moment Nicole appeared at Waverly’s side and punched him in the face.


	13. and you hate to be alone

“You’re a fucking idiot.”

“I know.”

“A goddamn fucking idiot.”

“I _know_.”

“A really big humongous goddamn fucking-”

“ _Alright_ , Chris, I _get it_.”

Chrissy folded her arms, glaring at Nicole as she sat on a barstool with ice on her hand. “Just so we’re clear.”

Wynonna shrugged and took a sip of her whiskey. “Good punch, though.”

“Shut up, Wynonna,” Waverly mumbled, pulling the ice from Nicole’s hand to get a look at her knuckles. “She could get in a lot of trouble for that.”

“It was worth it,” Nicole grumbled, grabbing for Chrissy’s beer. “He had his hands on you.”

“I can take care of myself, you asshole,” Waverly retorted, giving her a hard look.

They just stared at each other for a long moment, utterly silent. Chrissy finally broke it by awkwardly mumbling, “Uhm. Wynonna, do you want to go play pool? On the opposite side of the bar?”

“Yes, please, absolutely, definitely,” Wynonna rambled. She grabbed her glass and followed Chrissy away.

“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me, Nicole,” Waverly said, putting the ice back on the taller woman’s hand with a bit more force than necessary. “And I also don’t need you to try to spare my feelings.”

“What do you mean?”

“I made you uncomfortable. When I told you that I love you. That’s why you’ve been avoiding me, why you wouldn’t stand next to me at the funeral, isn’t it?” Waverly busied herself with cleaning up a small pile of peanut shells Wynonna left on the counter. “You don’t need to lie to me, Nicole. You can just tell me the truth.”

“The truth, Waverly, is that you caught me off guard. That’s all. We haven’t exactly been going together all that long.”

Waverly smirked slightly. “Going together?”

“Shut up.”

She sighed and shoved her hands in her pockets. “No, I know. I just. Nobody’s ever…” She lowered her voice so that it was barely audible over the din of the bar. “Nobody’s ever _seen_ me the way you do. Given a damn. Sure, Wynonna cares, but I feel like to some degree that’s obligation. You’re not obligated to give a shit about me, but you do. And I just… it makes it really easy to fall in love with you.”

Nicole reached up with her good hand, pulling Waverly towards her to give her a gentle kiss. “It’s alright,” she murmured. “It’s allowed. I’m not going to freak out and run away, Earp.”

“Then why have you been avoiding me?”

“Well,” Nicole said slowly. “I kind of figured that you’d want to be with your family right now, given the situation, and I wanted to be there for my sister, too, so…”

Waverly moaned quietly and put her head down on the bar. “I’m an idiot.”

“You said it; not me.”

“If I were you, I’d quit while you’re ahead, Haught, or I’ll-”

_“NICOLE!”_

Nicole winced and turned around, seeing Nedley standing just inside the doorway, his hands on his waist and a glare in his eyes.

“Oo,” she groaned. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”

Waverly patted her on the back as she stood to head over to him. “Godspeed, Deputy. Godspeed.”

 

+++++

 

“Family meeting,” Willa growled, grabbing Waverly and Wynonna by their arms and dragging them into the office. She slammed the door behind them.

“Is this where you kill us all and take power for yourself?” Wynonna cracked.

“Shut the hell up.” Willa leaned against the desk, folding her arms in front of her. “Remember what I said about weakness? Not giving in?”

“Yeah?”

“That’s out the fucking window now.”

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

Willa pointed at Waverly. “Because her goddamn _pit bull_ punched Robert Swain, and now he can sue her and sue us.”

“Now wait a minute,” Waverly protested. “He was being extremely aggressive towards me and was touching me without my permission. Nic reacted to it. That’s not her fault.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re up shit creek without a paddle, all because you can’t keep your fucking girlfriend in line.”

“Don’t blame this on Waverly,” Wynonna said, her entire body tensing. “None of this would’ve happened if we had been a united front from the start.”

Willa laughed dryly. “And whose fault is that? You’re the one with all the secret patrols and backdoor fence fixing.”

“I was _trying_ to do my part,” Wynonna snarled, taking a step forward to get in Willa’s face. “I wouldn’t have _had_ to go behind anyone’s back if you had been open to reason and willing to let Waverly and me help you when we got here.”

“And where have you both been for the past two decades or so?” Willa asked coldly.

Wynonna snorted. “Don’t do that. Don’t you fucking _dare_ do that. We aren’t at fault for our parents forcing us away from this place. That is not on _us_.”

“Yeah, well. You both seemed awfully happy to stay away,” Willa said, her voice soft. She shoved past Wynonna and out the door, leaving both of her sisters standing in the room.

 

+++++

 

Nicole opened her front door at two in the morning, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Waverly?” she rasped, her voice hoarse. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” Waverly whispered, hugging Nicole tightly. “I just… I had to get away from that place.”

“Are you okay?” she asked, rubbing Waverly’s back clumsily.

“I’m not sure,” Waverly admitted.

Nicole kissed the side of her head, just above her ear. “Then why don’t you come inside and stay until you are?”


	14. holding it down and standing our ground

Three months after Shorty’s murder, the case was colder than the fall winds that had started to stir through Purgatory.

“Sheriff, I don’t know what we’re supposed to do,” Nicole said, tapping her pen softly against her desk. “I just… I feel like we’re _failing_.”

“We can’t do anything when we have nowhere to go, Nic,” Nedley replied gently. He leaned against her desk and arranged her file folders neatly. “That’s the way it works sometimes.”

“What am I supposed to tell Waverly?”

Nedley gave a soft smile and took off his hat, resting it on his knee. “I’m going to talk to you as your dad not your boss for a minute, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What is it that you’re doing with Waverly Earp?”

Nicole frowned and leaned back in her chair, letting her pen drop. “What do you mean?”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt with a girl that might leave in eight months.” Nedley squeezed her shoulder gently. “I can see how much you care for her, Nic.”

“I’m taking things slow,” Nicole said. “Day by day.” She fidgeted with her hat and blushed a bit. “Courting her, I guess. The initial workings of our relationship went a bit fast, so now I’ve been trying to slow it down and treat her the way she should be treated. I know she might leave, Dad. But she’s worth the risk.”

Nedley stared at her for a moment before standing up, reaching over to grab the top of Nicole’s head and shove her hat down over her face. “I’m proud of you,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” Nicole sighed. “I know, Dad. You say it all the time.”

“No,” he said. “Not for that.”

He walked off, leaving Nicole at her desk, staring after him blankly.

 

+++++

 

“Do you know anything about this Fall Festival?” Wynonna asked, pushing her cart around the large shopping center, occasionally running forward and riding it for a few feet.

“Not really. Every time I ask, Nic just grins at me and says to ‘just wait’, which is really a bad sign.”

Wynonna snorted. “So this Fall Festival is actually a gun, bike, and wood expo?”

Waverly grinned. “It’s possible.”

“Well, I’ll have to ask your girl what type of lumber is best for- _shit!_ ” Wynonna put too much weight on the cart and flipped, tumbling onto her back on the ground as their groceries spilled out around her.

Her little sister squinted down at her. “I’m pretty sure you don’t use lumber for shit.”

“You’re a smartass.”

“Yeah. And?”

“Well, that looked like a fun ride.” A redheaded woman in jeans and a blouse was stopped at the end of the aisle, watching them. “Need a hand?”

“I think we’re alright,” Waverly said. She grinned and spun her wrists. “I’ve got two. I can probably drag my idiot sister off the floor.”

“Fuck off,” Wynonna groaned.

The woman laughed and headed over to them, righting the cart and starting to pick up the groceries that had fallen. “Never have enough hands.”

Waverly pulled Wynonna up before helping. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.”

“It’s really not a big deal, trust me.” She held out her hand. “I’m Mercedes. Mercedes Gar-”

“Gardner?” Wynonna finished.

“Uhm. Yes?”

“We went to preschool together for a hot minute.” Wynonna smirked. “Literally about a minute, because we got kicked out on the first day.”

Mercedes snapped her fingers. “Wynonna Earp.” She surged forward, pulling Wynonna into a tight hug. “Shit, it’s been some time. How are you? What are you doing back in town?”

“Our father died, so my sisters and I have been handling his ranch.” Wynonna gestured. “This is my little sister, Waverly.”

“Nice to meet you, Waverly. My younger siblings are around here somewhere.” Mercedes dropped her voice to a mutter. “Probably not shopping for the stuff they’re meant to be shopping for.”

“Wait,” Waverly said slowly. “Are you related to-”

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

Tucker Gardner walked up to them with what he thought was swagger, followed by a shorter brunette. He made a great show of looking around before making eye contact with Waverly and saying, “A grocery store. See, _this_ is where a woman like you belongs.”

Wynonna immediately bristled. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t know, Tucker, I think this woman did a pretty good job at that auction, considering I outbid you on both of the cows you wanted,” Waverly said, smirking.

Mercedes snorted. “ _This_ is why you didn’t buy anything? You got into a sexist pissing match and lost, then gave up to go sit in a corner and sulk?”

“That’s not how it went,” Tucker protested. “Tell her, Beth.”

“They were being very rude,” the brunette said immediately.

“You weren’t even fucking _there_ , Beth.” Mercedes rolled her eyes. “Alright. Whatever. It was nice meeting you, Waverly. And nice seeing you again, Wynonna. We’ll have to catch up sometime? Maybe set something else on fire?”

Wynonna laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”

Mercedes ushered her siblings away, cursing at them as they complained. Wynonna raised an eyebrow at Waverly. “He’s why you blew so much money at that thing?”

Waverly flushed red. “Well. Yes.”

Wynonna stared after the departing family. “Good.”

 

+++++

 

Wynonna caught sight of Gus’s truck pulling down the long drive as she stepped out onto the porch. She glanced over towards the barn and cupped her hands in front of her mouth. “Waverly! Nicole! Quit fucking in the loft and get out here!”

Nicole appeared at the opened section, her flannel shirt hanging loosely out of her jeans, her ARMY t-shirt visible, and her boots missing. “Fuck off, Earp!” she yelled back. “We’re not doing anything!”

“Tell that to your wardrobe!”

Nicole flipped her off and disappeared back into the loft, but a few minutes later she and Waverly exited the barn, heading over towards Wynonna.

“You know,” Waverly said slowly, “things like that are why cellphones were invented.”

“It’s more fun to yell,” Wynonna replied. “Plus, I figured embarrassment would make you idiots move faster.”

Nicole sat down on the front steps to tie her boots. “What do you need us for, anyway?”

“Gus is coming back with our new hire.”

“Ah. Ranch stuff.” Nicole laid back, resting her head on her hands. “Wake me up when you’re done.”

Wynonna kicked her leg. “You’re a dick.”

“Yeah?”

“You and Wave are perfect for each other. You’re both assholes.”

Nicole kicked out at Wynonna’s leg. “Don’t talk about my girlfriend like that.”

“I’ll talk about my sister however I want.”

“Children,” Waverly interrupted, though she was grinning. “The new hire has arrived. Can we maybe not act like we’re twelve?”

“Eh,” Nicole and Wynonna said simultaneously.

“Honestly,” Waverly sighed, heading over to the truck.

The man who got out of the passenger side looked nervous, fidgeting with his plaid shirt and his backpack.

“Hi there,” Waverly greeted, holding out a hand. “Welcome to Peacemaker Ranch. I’m Waverly Earp.”

He hesitated only briefly before shaking her hand and offering an anxious grin. “Hi. I’m Jeremy Chetri.”


	15. living out your parents' place

Jeremy was integrated fairly quickly into the ranch, dragged off babbling by Dolls and Doc. Wynonna watched as he stared at Doc, clearly a little starstruck, and smirked.

“I think you have competition, Earp,” Nicole said, watching next to her.

“Eh. I’m not all that worried.” Wynonna turned and pointed her finger at Nicole’s face, almost laughing as the taller woman jerked her head back. “What I _am_ worried about is that you’re going to do something stupid like put your hands all over my sister at the Festival.”

“Would you rather I stay here and put my hands all over her in the privacy of her bedroom?”

Wynonna lowered her hand slowly. “I don’t think I like you, Haught.”

“That’s fair. I don’t quite like me, either.” She laughed, playing it off, but then she shoved her hands into her pockets and fidgeted awkwardly. “Wave, I should get to work. I have to work the Festival setup in exchange for getting off during it.”

“Alright,” Waverly said softly. She leaned up, pressing a kiss to Nicole’s mouth. “Stay safe.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Nicole got on her bike, started it up, and rode off towards the main gate.

Wynonna clapped her hand down on Waverly’s back. “Hey. Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. She’s acting weird.”

“It’s Nicole. She always acts weird.”

“I guess,” Wynonna said slowly. She rubbed her thumb against her sister’s back gently. “Little weirder than usual, though. You’re sure everything is alright?”

“Yeah,” Waverly said, forcing a smile. “Everything is fine.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly dodged out of the way of a group of kids before putting her arm through Nicole’s, linking them as they walked side-by-side through the Purgatory Fall Festival.

“Do you want something to eat?” Nicole asked, her voice quiet. “We’ve got the typical festival nonsense. Funnel cake. Fried Oreoes. Cotton candy. Hot dogs. I think the one cart over there has poutine.”

“I’m not hungry right now.” Waverly kissed Nicole under her jaw. “Is everything okay with you? You’ve been acting funny.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m never funny.”

“Nicole. Hey.”

The taller woman sighed as they passed a pumpkin carving contest. “This festival was the last thing I did with my family before I went to bootcamp. The last thing I ever did with my grandfather or mother.”

Waverly went quiet, studying the battle between sadness and affection on Nicole’s face as they continued to drift through the crowd. Finally, she asked, “What happened to them?”

“Car crash. While I was overseas.” Nicole cleared her throat awkwardly. “I was so busy that I couldn’t go home for the funeral. And now that I’m back, I haven’t been to the graves. I’ve dealt with enough death. I know they aren’t really there anymore. I don’t need to see it.”

“Baby,” Waverly whispered, leaning up to kiss Nicole’s cheek. “You shouldn’t-”

“Do you know how my mom met my dad?” Nicole interrupted enthusiastically, the affection overshadowing the pain in her eyes.

“Uhm. N-No. No; I don’t.”

“I’m talking about my _real_ dad, not my bio dad, here, right? So he was at a liquor store picking up beer for a hockey viewing party, and in walks this stunningly beautiful brunette. Heads straight for the wine aisle. Now, Dad knows jackshit about wine, right? Have you ever looked at Randy Nedley and thought ‘that man knows about wine’? Of course not. But he makes his way over to her with the confidence of a twenty-something jackass who thinks he’s hot shit. And he starts trying to give her _advice_. Asking her what she’s having, offering her suggestions of what wine to have with it, making this big show of what wine’s _he’s_ buying. Offers to pay for _her_ wine. My mother, however, unbeknownst to him, worked at a high-end Italian restaurant and _specialized_ in handling their liquor menu. So this entire time she _knew_ that he was full of shit.”

Nicole led Waverly over towards a table where little kids were painting pumpkins. “Alright so we’ve got Hot Shit Randy Nedley trying to impress Smarter Than Him Susan Haught. And she just smirks a bit and picks up a wine and tells him that this is the one she wants. And my dad agrees to buy it for her, no questions asked.”

“Let me guess,” Waverly said with a grin. “Not a good idea.”

“Not in the slightest. It’s a $200 bottle of wine.”

“Ouch.”

“My father pales like he’s going to drop dead, my mother starts laughing, and finally he has to fess up that he doesn’t know a damn thing about wine or else he’s going to be paying half his paycheck towards alcohol he doesn’t even drink.”

“Your mom still married him, though.”

“Well, yeah.” Nicole shrugged. “She saw through his shit and knew that he was a good guy. He just wasn’t always the most humble in the bunch. Didn’t really know how to give in until he was in trouble.” She paused, her gaze going distant. “He drinks wine all the time now. Ever since they met. I’m not even really sure he likes it, but…”

“It reminds him of her,” Waverly said softly.

Nicole pulled her arm away from Waverly and shoved her hands tightly into her pockets, her head bowed. “If we can’t prevent death, we have to honor those who have passed,” she murmured. “And if we can’t manage that, then what good are we?”

Waverly reached out to stroke her cheek, but Nicole pulled away, stalking off towards the flea market and muttering under her breath.

 

+++++

 

_“Hey!”_ Nicole yelled, storming up to Tucker Gardner and grabbing him by the wrist. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

He smirked at her and gestured with his free hand down at the table of vintage knives in front of him. “I’m just shopping, Deputy. Or is it _Ms._? I never know how to address a cop without a uniform.”

“You can address me as the person who’s taking you to jail tonight,” Nicole growled. “Do you really think I didn’t see you pocket two of those knives and some of the rings from the next table over? You’re a thief.”

“Prove it,” he said smugly.

“Well, I witnessed it, so all I need to do is have someone search you.”

“This is harassment,” Tucker snarled. “You and your friend keep harassing me.”

Nicole blinked at him. “What friend?”

“Waverly Earp.” Tucker gave her a look that was somehow both blank and smug. “She’s confused, you know. She seems to think you’re dating. I can set that straight.”

Blood boiled in Nicole’s head, but before she could respond, she heard noise through the crowd.

“What’s going on here?” Nedley demanded, pushing aside an onlooker.

“He’s stealing from the tables,” Nicole reported as she released Tucker’s wrist and turned to face her father. Her heart dropped to her feet as she realized that he was with the mayor of Purgatory, Constance Clootie.

“Now, Deputy,” Constance said patronizingly, giving her a sweet smile. “I’m _sure_ Mr. Gardner meant nothing by it. He probably just forgot to pay. Or, even more likely, they were his items that he had set down, and you just misunderstood when he took them back into his possession.”

“Madame Mayor, with all due respect, I know what I saw,” Nicole said through gritted teeth.

Constance’s smile turned cold without flickering. “With all due respect, Deputy, you did not. Sheriff Nedley?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“If your child doesn’t learn how to behave on a leash, I expect her to be trained better. Understood?”

Nedley’s jaw twitched. “Yes, ma’am.”

Constance beamed at Tucker, putting an arm around his shoulders and leading him away. “Come, Mr. Gardner. Let me show you the barrel racing event.”

“Dad, this is bullshit,” Nicole blurted out as soon as they were out of earshot.

“Shut up, Nicole.” Nedley grabbed her arm and dragged her away. After a few minutes of ignored protests, he said, “I want you to keep an eye on the Gardner boy.”

Nicole blinked at him, her current argument dying on her tongue. “What?”

“You heard me. I can tell that something’s bothering you about him. So… keep an eye on him.”

“But the mayor…”

Nedley snorted. “I ain’t appointed by no mayors, kiddo.”

Nicole grinned and hugged him quickly. “Have I ever told you that you’re the best dad ever?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Suck up.”

 

+++++

 

“C’mere,” Nicole said, grabbing Waverly by the hand as she was mid-conversation with Wynonna and pulling her away. “Sorry, Earp.”

“That’s okay, Haught, just steal my sister!” Wynonna called after her, amused.

“Will do!”

“Where are we going?” Waverly asked. “Are you okay?”

“I haven’t won you a prize yet.”

“Nicole, you don’t have to-”

“There’s a stuffed cow.”

Waverly paused. “Win me the cow.”

Nicole laughed and stopped at the hammer and bell, where a bored teenager was set up.

“Five bucks for three tries,” he said.

“Gladly.” Nicole handed over a five-dollar bill and pointed at the black and white cow hanging up. “I’ll be taking that, so you might as well get it down now.”

The boy wasn’t even looking at her. “Mhm.”

Waverly squinted up at the bell, frowning. “Nicole, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Do you doubt me?” Nicole asked as she took off her jacket and handed it to her girlfriend.

As Nicole rolled up her sleeves, Waverly took a moment to stare at her arms. “No. I just don’t want you to embarrass yourself and get all pouty.”

Nicole winked at her, the cocky grin back on her face. “My grandfather and my father both won prizes for their wives on this thing back when they were dating, Waverly Earp. Shut up and watch.”

Waverly elected to ignore the ‘wives’ part and settled in, prepared to watch Nicole toss money at an unrelenting carnival game.

She was unprepared, therefore, when Nicole brought the hammer down on the first swing and slammed the weight up into the bell, ringing it off clearly.

The teenager squinted up at it, surprised, before shrugging and handing the cow over. Nicole set the hammer down and walked to Waverly, grinning.

“Told you.”

Waverly laughed. “Yeah, yeah, you did tell me.”

Nicole handed the stuffed animal over to Waverly and kissed her softly. “I know I’m not perfect, baby,” she whispered. “Far from it. But I’ll do my best to at least make you happy. Is that enough?”

“Oh, Nicole,” Waverly whispered in response, reaching up with her free hand to stroke Nicole’s cheek. “It’s everything.”


	16. you got it made

“You’re obsessed with that hat,” Wynonna teased, tugging on the brim as Doc buttoned up his vest.

“It’s a nice hat,” he grumbled, pulling away and lowering it.

“I can’t believe I’m in a three way relationship with a fucking _hat_. Seriously, Holliday?”

“To each their own, darlin’.”

Wynonna smirked. “Yeah, well-”

_“Wynonna!”_

There was a thundering on the steps, and Willa burst into Wynonna’s room. She hesitated only briefly, noting Doc’s half-buttoned vest and Wynonna’s lack of shirt. She didn’t give any reaction.

“What do you want, Willa?” Wynonna asked irritably.

“More cattle,” Willa replied breathlessly. “Up in the northern edge. The fences are all shattered, too.”

“Aw, hell,” Doc mumbled. He nodded at each woman and hurried out of the house.

“Shit.” Wynonna tugged her shirt on and grabbed her jacket. “Call Waverly and her grouchy puppy of a girlfriend.”

Willa’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Well,” Wynonna said, shrugging and heading for her bedroom door, “because for a lesbian, Haught is really good at handling tools.” She shot a grin at her older sister and disappeared down the stairs.

 

+++++

 

“If you stare much longer, Waves, you’re gonna start drooling,” Wynonna whispered in Waverly’s ear.

Waverly jerked away from her, shooting a glare at her. “Shut up.”

“Nah.” Wynonna took a swig of coffee from her travel mug and held it out, offering it to her sister. “I have to admit, Nicole’s efficient. Half the work is already done.”

“She has a process, yes,” Waverly mumbled, watching Nicole set a plank into place.

“You look bothered by it.”

“Hm? Oh, no. Not at all. I just…”

Wynonna squeezed Waverly’s shoulder. “What’s up?”

Waverly dropped her voice to a whisper. “She looks so _happy_ like this. Even despite the cold. Even despite how long she’s been working. She looks _happy_. Happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

“Is that a… problem?”

She was quiet for a moment, watching Nicole hammer a stake into the cold ground. “Maybe.”

 

+++++

 

“Have you considered security cameras?” Nicole asked, taking a sip of water before kicking a post back into place.

“How would we even know where to place them?” Willa gave a tired sigh. “These attacks are spread out all over. We have too much land to cover.”

Nicole paused. “Satellite?”

Wynonna snorted. “Okay, Army Brat, we’ll get right on that.”

Chrissy drove up in an SUV and parked, getting out with a fresh mug of coffee. “Courtesy of Ruthie,” she reported, handing it over to Nicole. “Payment for your services.”

Everyone around her immediately pouted. “Why doesn’t Ruthie send _us_ coffee for our services?” Doc complained.

“Because the rest of us are already being paid,” Chrissy said. She patted Nicole on the cheek. “And this one is quickly becoming the house favorite.”

Nicole flushed pink. “I don’t try to.”

“Maybe just a little bit.”

“We’re done out here anyway, right?” Waverly asked, looking around the field.

Willa nodded. “Yeah, I think everything is done. I’ll need everybody to finish up the day to day chores, but-”

“But _Nicole_ is done, right?”

“… Yes?”

“Good.” Waverly unzipped Nicole’s jacket and slipped into it, hugging her and stealing some of her warmth. She grinned up at the taller woman and said, “Because I have some payment of my own to give her.”

Chrissy and Wynonna groaned simultaneously. “Go be gross somewhere else,” Wynonna complained. “Assholes.”

“Gladly,” Nicole said. She took Waverly by the hand and pulled her towards the ATV parked nearby.

 

+++++

 

Waverly sat down at breakfast across from Wynonna and Willa and started fidgeting with her toast.

“Dude, you’re stressing me out,” Wynonna said. “What’s your problem?”

“I wanted to ask you something. Both of you.”

“This ought to be good,” Willa mumbled.

Wynonna elbowed her in the side. “What’s up, Waves?”

“I just… I love Nicole.”

Wynonna slammed her hand down on the table. “Oh my god, stop the presses.”

“Shut the fuck up. I wasn’t done.”

Willa, smirking, said, “What’s the rest?”

“I, uh… I was wondering if maybe… If I could ask her to move in?” Waverly winced and quickly added, “I know that’s a lot to ask. Especially with her dogs. But we have so much room here, and I just… I thought maybe… since I can’t breach the subject in another way since I can’t move out… I just…”

“I’m okay with it.”

Waverly looked at Wynonna quickly. “You are?”

“Yeah.” She pointed at Waverly with a piece of bacon. “Though she should know that I’m going to expect her to fix everything that breaks in this place.”

With a laugh, Waverly said, “I’m sure I can convince her.”

“I’m alright with that, too.”

Both of the younger Earps gave Willa a stunned look. “Really?”

“Yes, Waverly, really.” Willa shrugged. “It shouldn’t be a big deal.”

“O-Okay then.” Waverly gave a relieved sigh. “I guess I’ll ask her, then.”


	17. the sky looks like it's catchin' fire

When Waverly walked into Nicole’s barn, she winced as she saw her cutting up a deer. She turned her back to face the wall. “I regret coming in here.”

Nicole smirked. “Didn’t you wonder where Gus got the venison you had the other night?”

“I’m a vegetarian now.”

“What can I do for you, babe? I didn’t miss a date or something, did I?”

“No. I just. I wanted to talk to you.”

“That doesn’t usually lead to good things.”

“It’s a good thing, I hope.” Waverly shoved her hands into her pockets. “Look… I know we haven’t been together more than a handful of months. I know we don’t know each other very well. But I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of this, Nicole. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay, or if I’ll have to go back home. I only have seven months guaranteed left. There’s not much I can offer you. But I… I want you to move in with me.”

There was a lengthy silence, so long that Waverly risked turning around.

Nicole was staring at her with an expression that mixed surprise and interest.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude…” she said slowly. “And it _has_ only been a few months…”

Waverly fidgeted, pointedly avoiding looking at the deer. “But?”

“But if we might only last seven more months, I want to spend every available moment of them with you. So let’s do it.”

“Oh, thank god,” Waverly sighed. “I would kiss you right now, but you’re gross.”

Nicole took a step towards her, grinning. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“Nicole Haught, if you come near me with those bloody hands of yours, your first _month_ of living with me is going to involve sleeping on the couch.”

“You’re already playing dirty, huh?” Nicole asked, taking a step back and raising her hands.

Waverly unbuttoned a few extra buttons on her blouse and smirked as Nicole’s gaze immediately drifted down. “Oh, sweetheart. I haven’t even _begun_ to play dirty.”

Nicole’s knife slipped out of her hand and clattered onto the floor. She frowned down at it. “You know, Waves, you always make me look like a clumsy fool.”

“Luckily, I don’t have that effect on you in bed.” Waverly pushed her way out of the barn, laughing as she heard Nicole groan loudly.

 

+++++

 

“I hope you know,” Chrissy said as she helped Nicole carry a box upstairs, “this doesn’t mean you’re my boss now.”

Nicole snorted. “I’m your big sister. I’m gonna be the boss of you for the rest of our lives.” Once they set the box down, she sat on Waverly’s bed and rubbed the back of her neck. “What am I doing, Chris?”

Chrissy sat next to her. “What do you mean?”

“How can I move in with somebody like Waverly? She might not know what her future is, but knows who _she_ is. I’m just a washed up soldier trying to play cop. What could I ever offer her?”

“Oh, you idiot,” Chrissy said softly. She rubbed Nicole’s back gently and kissed her on the side of the head. “Waverly loves you.”

“That’s sort of what I don’t understand. I may be a flirt, Chris, but that doesn’t mean I’m a good person to date.”

“Let me ask you something. Would you ever do anything to hurt Waverly?”

Nicole shook her head, frowning. “No. Never.”

“Do you love her?”

“… Yeah, I think I do.”

“Then what’s the risk in trying this? You still have your place. Waverly might not even still be here in a few months.” Chrissy patted her on the shoulder and stood back up. “Let your heart have something good for once.”

Nicole gave a weak laugh and rubbed a hand over her face. “You know, after Mom died I was supposed to be the one taking care of you. Not the other way around.”

“Deal with it.” Chrissy leaned down to kiss Nicole on the forehead. “We take care of each other. You don’t have to shoulder every burden in the universe, Nic.”

“I wish that were true,” Nicole whispered under her breath.

 

+++++

 

Nicole’s dogs settled easily into the outbuilding that housed the others. They explored the kennels briefly, then took off at a run with Doc’s bloodhound, disappearing into the fields.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever get them back,” Nicole said mildly, shading her eyes from the sun as she watched them go.

Waverly threaded her arms around Nicole’s waist and pressed a kiss to the center of her back. “Poker will bring them back.”

“Uh-huh. Did you just kiss my jacket? That can’t have tasted good, babe.”

“Shut up. I was trying to be romantic.”

Nicole twisted around and cupped Waverly’s face in her hands, lifting her up onto her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to her lips. “Is that romantic enough for you?” she murmured.

“Hardly. I need a sunset horseback ride and a moonlit picnic.”

“I can give you the picnic, but I’m afraid of horses.”

Waverly took a step away from her. “You’re full of shit.”

“I’m not. Always hated the things. Too tall, too many hooves.”

“ _Too tall?_ You’re like six foot!”

Nicole pouted. “I’m not _that_ tall.”

Waverly put her hands on her hips. “I’m going to get you on a horse, Nicole Haught.”

“Please do not. Why don’t we go on a picnic. I’ll even take the Hummer.”

Waverly immediately softened, reaching up to brush her thumb against Nicole’s cheek. “You don’t have to.”

“Why not? It’s a nice night for it.” Nicole put her arm around Waverly’s shoulders. “Come along, Ms. Earp. Let’s go steal food from Gus and Ruthie.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly laid half on top of Nicole, watching the sun set over the trees in the distance. “Nicole,” she whispered.

“Yes?”

“Please tell me you didn’t kill whatever meat was in the lasagna Gus packed for us.”

She could practically hear Nicole’s smirk. “Okay. I won’t tell you.”

Waverly rolled over, getting on top of her and glaring down at her grin. “You’re an ass.”

“Maybe.” Nicole flipped her easily, switching their positions and kissing her senseless. “Maybe you should’ve asked for a salad before we left.”

“You are _lucky_ that you’re so cute,” Waverly growled.

“I know. It’s all part of my charm.”

Waverly pulled one of her hands out from under Nicole’s knees and reached up, stroking the side of Nicole’s face. “I love you. And I know that part of it is because you’re the first person who has ever really cared about me. But I don’t care. I love you, Nicole. I’m sorry if it scares you.”

“It scares me far less than the thought of you limiting yourself just to be with me,” Nicole murmured. “I may be charming, Waverly, but I’m not much else.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Nicole.” Waverly pulled her down, giving her a long, slow kiss. “I’ll prove it, if you let me. Just let me love you for a while first, okay? Please?”

“I suppose I can’t really argue with that,” Nicole admitted, skimming her fingers up Waverly’s side and lifting her shirt as she went, exposing her skin to the brisk air.

“I’m never going to let you argue with anything,” Waverly teased gently.

Nicole chuckled softly, toying with the buttons of Waverly’s coat. “I can live with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished this piece, so you can expect to see the final chapters posted soon. Sorry for the long hiatus; I wanted to have it completed before I continued!


	18. there's no going back to the start again

 

When Waverly walked into the bedroom she now shared with Nicole, she found the cop standing in front of the closet, staring at the clothes with her arms folded and a frown on her face. Waverly kissed her on the cheek and said, “Whatcha thinking about?”

“How does one woman make such a big mess?”

Waverly smacked her arm. “Excuse me?”

“Baby… honey… your clothes are on the _floor_ of the closet. How do you even tell what’s clean and what isn’t?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? The pile in the _closet_ is clean, and the pile over there on the _floor_ is dirty.”

Nicole’s eye twitched. “H-How… How have I never noticed this madness before?”

Waverly patted her on the cheek. “I usually have you over the day after laundry day. Or I shove it all under the bed.”

“I-I…” Nicole steepled her fingers in front of her mouth. “Darlin’, I’m not going to rearrange your entire room. But. But, sweetheart. I am not allowing this.”

“Oh, you’re not _allowing_ it?” Waverly teased, looping her fingers through Nicole’s belt loops and pulling her forward. “Geez, you move in with a girl and the Army bossiness reveals itself.”

Nicole battled a smirk as she put her hands on her hips. “This room would _not_ pass a military inspection, ma’am.”

“Perhaps I could bribe you?” Waverly laughed as she skimmed her hands up Nicole’s sides, grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, and pulled her onto the bed.

 

+++++

 

Waverly pressed against Nicole, idly stroking her fingers along Nicole’s abdomen. She kissed her on the shoulder and murmured, “What do you want to do?”

“Hm?”

“About the room. The closet situation.”

Nicole chuckled softly. “I was starting to think you had forgotten.”

Waverly laughed and poked her in the ribs. “Sorry, Haught, you aren’t _that_ good.”

“Rude.” Nicole ran her fingers up Waverly’s spine, making her shiver. “Is it okay with you if we change things up a bit? Organize? I just… I like things neater than this, baby.”

“I can certainly try, if you give me a way to do it.”

Nicole rolled half on top of her, a grin on her face. “Are we going to go shopping for laundry baskets?”

Waverly groaned and shoved at her. “I had no idea you were this domestic.”

“I have my moments.” Nicole leaned down and gently sucked at the spot where Waverly’s neck met her shoulder. “Do you want to see how good I am at doing _mise en place_ for candlelit bubble baths?”

Waverly groaned again, low and quiet. “I don’t know if I can handle living with you.”

Nicole laughed into Waverly’s throat. “Too late,” she mumbled. “The dogs have settled in.”

“Y’know, I think I’m okay with that.”

 

+++++

 

Waverly spit her toothpaste out into the sink and rinsed her mouth out with water from a Dixie cup. “Do you know what one of my favorite parts about living with you now is?”

“What’s that?” Nicole’s voice responded from the shower.

“Well, two things, actually. First of all, if anything around the house breaks, I can just make you fix it when you get home. Second of all…” She stripped out of her pajamas, opened the shower door, and stepped inside, letting the water fall over her hair. “I can be with you _whenever_ I’d like to.”

Nicole chuckled softly, taking a step back to make room for her. “You do know that shower sex tends to be kinda awful and slippery and stupid, right?”

Waverly put her hands on Nicole’s shoulders and gave the taller woman’s body a very deliberate once-over, a small smirk on her face. “Maybe so. But I can _look_ at you.” She skimmed a finger over a few of Nicole’s scars. “I _like_ looking at you.”

Nicole blushed and ran her tongue over her lips nervously. “I’m not really used to being examined, Wave.”

“Don’t worry so much, darling. I like what I see. I have since the day you first pulled up out front.” Waverly ran her hands down Nicole’s body. “I knew I wanted you before I ever spoke to you.”

There was a long moment as Nicole just stared at her, and Waverly could practically see the gears trying to restart in her brain. She grabbed Waverly’s arm and spun her around, pressing her up against the cool tile.

Waverly giggled. “I thought you said shower sex was lame?”

“Can’t be that bad,” Nicole mumbled as she leaned forward to kiss Waverly slowly.

 

+++++

 

Nicole sat down at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee, scribbling a few answers in a crossword puzzle.

Willa sat across from her with a cup of tea and raised an eyebrow. “Crosswords? I was expecting a gun magazine.”

“I have to keep the brain functioning so that I can design stuff that I build, not just idly swing a hammer in the vague direction of a nail,” Nicole replied dryly.

“Naturally,” Willa said with a smirk. She played with her mug for a moment, staring down into the pale brown liquid. “Your Hummer’s kinda in the way outside, you know. Do you really need to have three different vehicles?”

“It’s not my fault you could never ride a motorcycle.”

Willa huffed. “You’re a prick, Haught.”

“I know.” Nicole winked at her. “Don’t be mad at my charm, Earp. It won your sister over.”

“Yeah, well, that’s _Waverly,_ though.”

Nicole gave an overdramatic gasp. “You acknowledged that Waverly is your sister! Oh, my god, is hell freezing over?”

“Fuck you,” Willa said, though there was surprisingly little bite to it.

“You aren’t the right Earp for that.”

“Har har.” Willa studied her tea again, a troubled crinkle in her brow. “Listen, Nicole… Can we talk about something?” She cleared her throat. “There’s something I need to tell you about Robert Swain.”

Nicole only half heard her, her attention focused on a small red dot that was hitting the table before sliding over and resting on Willa’s chest. She blinked once. Twice. Then realized.

_“Shit!”_

“Wha-”

Willa was cut off as Nicole barreled out of her chair, knocking the table over and tackling the oldest Earp just as gunfire ripped through the house.

 

+++++

 

Waverly’s ears were ringing, and there was glass all around her. She opened her eyes slowly, squinting up at the ceiling.

“You okay, baby girl?” Wynonna’s voice asked, slightly muffled, as she picked herself up off the floor and stumbled over to her sister.

“Ow,” Waverly grumbled. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Jesus, Wave, you’re bleeding.”

Waverly sat up slowly and saw blood on her arm. She pushed up her sleeve and let out a soft breath. “Just a graze, Wyn. I’m okay.” Panic startled to settle into her gut. “Where’s Nicole?”

They heard a low moaning from the other room, and Waverly went white. She and Wynonna scrambled to follow the sound, and they found Gus lying limp and bloody on the floor.

“Shit,” Wynonna whispered. “Shit. Oh, shit.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, finally _thinking_ , and dialed 9-1-1 as she sprinted over to Gus’s side.

Waverly was about to follow when she her a door slamming open downstairs and Willa’s voice scream, _“HAUGHT!”_

She bolted down the steps and found Willa in the kitchen, standing motionless and looking stunned.

“Are you okay? Where’s Nicole?” Waverly demanded.

Willa shook her head slightly and pointed at the door. “She chased after them.”

“What?”

“She took off after the shooter.”

Waverly swore loudly and ran out onto the porch. _“NICOLE!”_

Nicole, already halfway into one of the fields on an ATV, didn’t even look back.

 

+++++

 

Nicole stopped the ATV after driving for a few minutes, staring off into the distance as the fleeing shooter’s own ATV disappeared across the fields.

Her vision was blurring and she felt dizzy, and she knew she couldn’t continue the chase. She turned around and headed back to the house.

 

+++++

 

When she got off the ATV, Waverly marched up to her and punched her hard in the shoulder. _“What is wrong with you?”_ she shrieked.

Nicole winced and rubbed at her ear. “Instinct, I guess.”

“Well, you’re a fucking idiot.”

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Nicole’s gaze fell to Waverly’s arm. “Are you okay?”

“It’s just a graze.”

“Everyone else?”

Waverly’s eyes were dark. “Wynonna and Willa are fine. Gus is… not. Ruthie was in the barn and heard the whole mess; she’s in there now helping her while the ambulance and your dad head out here. I called Chrissy, too, so that she could get out of the fields in case whoever did this was on his was there.”

“Where is she?” Nicole asked immediately. “How long ago was that? Should she be back by now?”

“Nic, relax. It’s okay. She should be back any minute.”

_“NICOLE HAUGHT!”_

Waverly smirked. “Speak of the devil.”

Chrissy stomped up to them and jabbed a finger into Nicole’s chest. “Who the _fuck_ runs after someone who just shot up an entire house?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Nicole shrugged and winced. “Okay, yeah, I really need the continuous body motions to stop.”

Waverly’s brow immediately furrowed with worry. “Are you okay?”

“I dunno. I feel dizzy.”

Chrissy, alarmed, turned her around. “Christ, Nic, you got _shot_.”

“I did?” Nicole replied.

“Yeah. It doesn’t look bad, but it’s in your upper back near your shoulder.”

“I don’t feel it…” Nicole thought for a moment, and in that split second, the adrenaline dropped off. Her knees buckled, and Waverly and Chrissy both grabbed her. “Okay. Uhm. Ow. Yeah. That… That hurts.”

As they led her over to sit down on the steps, Chrissy lightly ran her fingers through the back of Nicole’s hair. “You’re an idiot, Nicole,” she said, her voice soft and loving.

“Yeah, seems like it,” Nicole responded dryly.

Waverly kissed her on the cheek. “We’re going to talk about this once you get patched up. Got it?”

Nicole laughed quietly. “Looking forward to it.”

She sat down, and the door opened. Willa shakily stepped out onto the porch with a glass of water that she handed to Nicole.

“Here,” she murmured. “It might calm you down a bit.”

“Thank you,” Nicole rasped, taking the glass and sipping deeply from it. She met Willa’s gaze evenly before saying, “Before this went down, Willa, you said that you had something you wanted to talk to me about?”

Willa gave a stiff nod. “Yes. But. Not right now, okay? I-I think I need to… I just…”

Waverly looked down and saw Willa’s hands shaking. “Chrissy, you have Nic, right?” she asked casually.

“Absolutely.”

“Good. Thanks.” Waverly brushed her knuckles against Nicole’s cheek as she walked past her. She put an arm around Willa. “Hey,” she whispered. “Why don’t we go inside and sit down for a minute? You can help me put something on this wound until the medics get here.”

Willa nodded, still trembling. “Thank you.”

They headed into the house, and Chrissy sat down on the step next to Nicole. She lightly punched her knee. “Don’t ever do that to me again, Nic,” she said softly.

Nicole smiled at her, edged a bit with the pain from her shoulder. “I’ll do my best.”

They looked up as they heard a siren, and they saw their father’s SUV speeding down the drive. Nicole groaned softly.

“If Dad doesn’t kill me first.”


	19. tired of walking in your shadow

Nicole laid with her head in Waverly’s lap in the waiting room of the local hospital.

“You should sit up, sweetheart,” Waverly murmured, brushing her fingers over Nicole’s forehead. “You’ll hurt your shoulder.”

“They have me on some pretty good drugs,” Nicole whispered, half-dozing. “It doesn’t hurt at all.”

Waverly leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Good. Get some sleep, baby.” She stroked Nicole’s hair softly until she faded, then looked up at Wynonna, who was pacing anxiously in front of her. “Why don’t you sit down for a bit?”

“Can’t,” Wynonna mumbled. “For fuck’s sake, Waverly, someone tried to kill us.”

Nedley walked into the room, worrying his hat between his fingers. “We don’t have a trail on the shooter,” he said. “I’m sorry. It’s started to rain out there, and even Nicole’s tracks are gone. We did find cartridge casings, though, so if we find a gun we should be able to at least match manufacturer and caliber. Looks like they used some sort of rifle.”

Waverly nodded. “Willa did say that Nicole saw one of those little laser sight dots before the gunfire.”

“A lot of people have those guns out here, so it won’t narrow it down by much.” Nedley’s eyes flicked down to his daughter, a soft look on his face. “How’s she doing?”

“Stubborn.” Waverly brushed her thumb over Nicole’s cheek. “But she’s okay.”

“And Gus?”

Waverly shook her head. “She’s in surgery. We don’t know yet.”

Nedley nodded and sat down next to her, gently patting a hand against Nicole’s legs. “Look… I know we’ve asked you this a thousand times. But can you think of _anything_? Of _anyone_ who might want to do this to you? This is escalating to a point where…” He shook his head slowly. “Shorty’s death was likely just because he caught someone up on the property vandalizing it or hunting cattle. But _this_? This is a direct attack on all of you.”

“No.”

They all turned to look at Willa, who was standing in the corner, her fingers wrapped tightly around a cup of coffee.

“It was a direct attack on _me_ ,” she whispered.

“What are you talking about?” Wynonna asked.

“Just because the laser was on you…” Waverly started, but Willa cut her off with a shake of her head.

“Robert did this. Robert Swain.”

Nedley stood back up slowly. “What makes you say that?”

Willa took a sip of her coffee before meeting his gaze. “Because he’s my ex-boyfriend.”

Wynonna sat down slowly. “What?”

“I used to date him,” Willa said carefully. “We had a lot of plans. To join our ranches, to take the land from my father, to get the money. But after Robert lost that poker game where he tried to get some of the land early, he got so _angry_. Kept saying that Daddy owed him because he had helped him get some of his employees, because he had helped out around the house since we were dating. He scared the hell out of me, and I… I just didn’t want to be around him anymore. I ended things, but Robert told me that he’d get the land he deserved no matter what.” She took in a long, slow breath and gave half a laugh. “That was when I realized that he was only dating me to take my birthright.” She gave Wynonna and Waverly a guilty look and quietly corrected, “ _Our_ birthright.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you mention this before?” Wynonna demanded, taking a step towards her sister.

Willa drummed her fingers on the coffee cup and bowed her head. “I-I… I didn’t want to believe that a man I had loved could do something like this. It’s stupid. I know. But I… It was a lot easier to believe that this was all because of the sisters that I had never asked for.” She sighed and leaned against the wall, sipping her coffee again. “I-I’m… I’m s-sorry.”

Wynonna and Waverly exchanged a startled glance. “This Is what you were going to tell Nicole, isn’t it?” Waverly asked softly. “That you used to date Robert; that you thought he was doing this.”

“Yes. I thought that if anybody would be motivated to help...”

“Okay.” Nedley rested his hands on his belt. “Okay. I’m going to go talk to Mr. Swain. But _none of you_ are going to communicate with him. Do you understand me?”

The three Earps nodded, though none of them looked happy about it.

Nedley reached down and patted Nicole’s cheek. “Take care of her?” he murmured, looking at Waverly.

“Of course,” Waverly whispered.

Once he had left, an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

“So,” Wynonna said finally. “You’ve been kind of a dick to us.”

“It’s a little hard not to be when, in quick succession, you find out you’ve been used by your boyfriend, your father dies, and then you’re forced to cohabitate and co-run your own ranch with siblings you don’t know,” Willa replied briskly.

Wynonna sighed and nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

She walked over and rested a hand on Willa’s shoulder. “And now it’s gonna stop.”

Willa blinked at her, startled, as Wynonna pulled her into a rough hug. It took a minute, but Willa relaxed into it, hesitantly hugging her back.

“We can either do this together or not at all,” Wynonna whispered. “We can’t live like this anymore.”

Willa let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. “Agreed.”

 

+++++

 

“How many more times do I need to tell you people that I didn’t do anything?” Robert Swain asked, leaning back in his chair in the interrogation room, looking bored.

Nedley leaned forward, folding his hands together on the table between them. “Tell me one more time.”

“Look. Sheriff. All I’ve done is explain to those Earps what their father owes me. I’m a businessman, not some street punk.” Robert laughed and stroked his chin. “Besides, I don’t need to threaten them. All I need is to wait around.”

“You mean wait around for Willa Earp to come back to you?”

Robert’s expression twitched. “She told you about that?”

“Yes. She told us a lot. About you, and how badly you want her land.” Nedley tapped his pen against his notepad. “About what you might do to get it.”

“And what exactly would that be?”

“Mr. Swain, are you aware that someone shot up the primary Earp residence yesterday?”

Robert’s expression didn’t change. “I was not.”

“Gus McCready was badly injured. She’s in critical condition. Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught were also injured, though not severely.”

There was a pause, then Robert leaned forward. “Are you sure you’re able to continue with this investigation, Sheriff? After all, with that daughter of yours injured, isn’t it a conflict of interest?”

“I know how to do my job, Mr. Swain,” Nedley replied coldly. “And my job tells me that you own a Colt AR15A4.”

“So?”

“So that’s the same type of gun that fired into the Earp house.”

Robert snorted. “A lot of people own that gun.”

“True. But a lot of people don’t also own the same type of ATV that was seen driving away from the scene.”

“Coincidence.”

Nedley raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s what you’re going with, Mr. Swain? You want me to believe that somebody used the same ATV you have and the same gun you have in order to antagonize the family that you have a very vocal issue with and the woman who you used to date?”

Robert slammed his fist against the table and pointed his finger directly in Nedley’s face. “Look,” he snarled, “it is _not_ my fault that that whiny little punk can’t handle a simple job!”

Nedley stared at him for a long moment, silence heavy in the interrogation room. “ _What_ ‘whiny little punk’, Mr. Swain?”

 

+++++

 

Nicole stepped out into the porch, itching the spot where her sling rested against her neck. “I have a new resolution for next year. No more heroics.”

Waverly laughed and kissed her good shoulder. “I think I’m okay with that.”

“Did you want to go see Gus? Chrissy told me she’s awake.”

“Wynonna and I are going to go up there later.” Waverly leaned against the railing of the porch. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course you can.”

“All of this stuff… I mean, you go shooting for fun, so in a way it doesn’t surprise me, but… you were in the middle of a major shooting incident, and it doesn’t seem to have affected you at all. And I guess I’m just… worried that maybe you aren’t okay, and you’re just hiding it?”

Nicole’s brow furrowed, and she leaned against the railing next to her. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“I-I… guess I just…” Waverly shrugged awkwardly. “I thought you had PTSD?”

Nicole bowed her, a small smile flickering to her face. “You know you can ask me these things, right? I know I haven’t always shown it, but I’m learning how to be more open. And it’s easier with you.” She squeezed Waverly’s knee. “I have my issues and quirks. But I’ve been to enough therapists to know that they’re a result of frustration and failure and a lack of self-worth, Waverly. Those are things I had long before I went into the Army, and they’re things I don’t think I’ll ever truly be over.”

Waverly nodded and kissed her cheek. “Then where were you? Before you came here? You said you were in the hospital.”

“I never said?”

“Not to me, no.”

Nicole rolled her shoulder experimentally. “I wasn’t being treated or diagnosed with PTSD, baby. The injuries I got over there had me in the hospital for a little while. I was told to take it easy to recover from them, but I had my contractor’s license, so I kept working to help the people who lived near me. Working with my dogs to train them. Building things to keep my mind occupied. I couldn’t keep myself still, so I kept re-injuring myself and ending up back in the hospital. It was a pretty bad cycle until I was pretty much forced to rest for a few months, and that’s when my dad offered me a job down here. I figured it was as good a way as any to feel like I mattered.”

Waverly threaded their fingers together. “You don’t know when to quit, do you, Nicole Haught?”

“Not particularly, no.” Nicole smirked and kissed Waverly’s forehead. “Neither do you, considering how bossy you were about dating me.”

“Hey, Chrissy bullied me into that dinner.”

“Mhm. I’m sure it was really difficult to convince you.”

“… Shut up.”

Nicole kissed her on the mouth. “Never.”

Waverly moved to kiss her back, but jerked away when a gunshot echoed off of the fields to the west.

“What the hell was that?” she asked, panic laced in her voice.

“I have no idea.” Nicole spotted Jeremy running towards them. “Jeremy, what’s going on?”

“The sheriff just called. Robert Swain confessed. But…” He paused to take a breath.

“But _what_ Jeremy?” Waverly prompted.

Jeremy swallowed and finished, “He also said that Tucker Gardner helped him.”

Nicole and Waverly both looked out towards where the gunshot had come from. “Shit,” Nicole whispered.

“Thank, Jeremy,” Waverly said quickly as she and Nicole sprinted for Waverly’s Jeep.

 

+++++

 

Wynonna got down off of her horse and walked over to the damaged fence line, shaking her head. “God. Fucking. Dammit.”

She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and raised it to her ear. “Doc?”

_“What’s wrong?”_

She gave a dry laugh. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”

_“Come on, darlin’, I can hear it in your voice.”_

“We have another fence down.”

_“Where?”_

“Near the creek. Western pasture.”

_“Alright. I’m close by; I’m on my way to you.”_

Wynonna sighed and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “I can handle it.”

_“I know. But I can still be there.”_

She chuckled softly. “Yeah. Okay. I…” She trailed off as she heard footsteps crunching through the grass behind her.

_“Wynonna?”_

“Put it down,” Tucker said quietly, the rifle in his hands raised and aimed at Wynonna’s chest.

_“Wynonna!”_ Doc yelled into the phone before she hung up and dropped it onto the ground.

“So,” she said slowly. “You’re the dickhead who shot the people I love.”

“Yeah, _I’m_ the dickhead,” he snarled. “You Earps all think you’re _so special_. Think you own the universe with your big ranch and your big land and your money. You’ve got no business parading around here with your attitudes. I cannot _stomach_ the _entitlement_ you all put off!”

Wynonna snorted. “Okay. Dude? For most of my life I lived with my alcoholic mother in a crap apartment nowhere near here. I’m new to this whole ‘having money’ thing. I’m trying my best? But I’m pretty damn sure that I’m not _entitled_. One thing I _am_ pretty sure about is that you’re a hypocrite, because you have everything and you’ve had everything your whole life. You’re just pissed off because you don’t have full control, so you want more money and power so you can have even _more_ for yourself.”

Tucker sneered at her. “Do you _want_ me to shoot you, you _bitch_?”

“What’s the difference? You’re going to shoot me anyway.”

He lowered the gun slightly. “Huh. You have a very good point.” He raised the gun back full onto his shoulder. “Might as well do it now, then.”

There was a gunshot, and Wynonna flinched, but Tucker fell to the ground. Wynonna blinked and looked, and saw Doc standing by the tree line a few yards away.

“Holy shit,” Wynonna whispered. “You have a way with your timing,” she yelled as she hurried over to kick the gun away from Tucker, who was moaning on the ground.

“I have my moments,” Doc said. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Trust me; I scared the hell out of me too.” Wynonna pushed Tucker onto his back. “Stop moaning, Gardner, you’re not dying. I’m too eager to see you go to jail.”

“I won’t go down alone,” Tucker growled. “I’m going to take Swain down with me.”

“No honor among murderous douchebags; big surprise.” Wynonna looked up at Doc. “One of us should probably call the cops.”

Doc grinned and pointed at the Jeep heading through the fields towards them. “No need. One’s already on the way.”


	20. maybe we are a little crazy

“Lookin’ good!”

Nicole carefully made her way to the edge of the roof and squinted down at Waverly, who was grinning up at her with a glass of lemonade in her hand.

“So’s that lemonade,” Nicole replied. “That for me?”

Waverly smirked up at her. “Only if you come down and kiss me for it.”

“Awfully needy, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.”

Nicole went over to the ladder and climbed down. “I’m glad most of the gun damage is finally cleared up. Now that my stupid arm is healed, everything came together quickly. But you guys _really_ need this new roof. The snow beat the hell out of it.”

Waverly reached up and stroked her cheek. “You’re doing a good job, baby.”

“I like to think so.” Nicole sipped from the lemonade glass. “I want to talk to Gus about maybe doing something a little more ornate when I redo the porch. It looks nice, but I think I can make it look even better.”

Waverly nodded and put her hands on Nicole’s shoulders. “Can I ask you something?”

Nicole just smiled.

“Right. Well. I just. Are you happy? I mean, right now. Doing this.”

“Working on the house? Of course. I love doing this.”

Waverly rubbed her shoulders gently. “Okay… Look. Hear me out. Don’t take this the wrong way. I was wondering if maybe you should quit your job.”

Nicole’s brow furrowed. “Quit being a cop?”

“Mhm.”

“Why?”

“Because you… You _never_ seem happy, darling. You never seem like you really _enjoy_ being a cop.” Waverly leaned up on her toes and kissed Nicole’s forehead. “But, baby, I can _see_ how much you _adore_ being a carpenter. And I can’t help but feel like you’d be better off switching careers.”

Nicole was silent for a long moment, just watching Waverly’s face. After a while, she murmured, “You’d still want me? If I wasn’t a cop; if I was just some handyman?”

“Just? I’ve seen you’re work; you’re pretty damn good.” Waverly brushed her thumb against Nicole’s cheek. “And regardless, it doesn’t matter. If you’re happy, Nicole, I’ll be happy. I don’t need a cop. I don’t need some hero. I just want _you_.”

Nicole stared at her briefly before giving her a quick kiss. “Stay here.” She bolted into the house.

Waverly blinked. “… Okay.”

She returned so quickly she was out of breath, a small box tight in her grip. “I had this big plan and elaborate ideas but they’re all stupid,” she said. “I can’t wait anymore.”

Waverly’s brow furrowed. “Wait for… what?”

Nicole dropped down onto one knee and opened the box in front of her, revealing a glittery diamond ring. “I don’t have words that I could ever say to express how much I want you to stay with me forever,” Nicole said. “And I know you need to figure out what it is you really want. But I hope that, no matter what, it’s always going to include me. Marry me, Waverly.”

Waverly barely hesitated before taking Nicole’s face in her hands and leaning down to kiss her. “I’m not going anywhere, Nicole Haught. I’ve already talked with Wynonna and Willa. We’re all staying right here. And I am sure as hell going to marry you.”

Nicole grinned and surged back onto her feet, pulling Waverly into a bear hug. “I love you,” she said. “God, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Waverly laughed.

“And my first job as a carpenter is going to build us our own place on this land, because as much as I like your sisters, I’m not living with them forever.”

Waverly grinned up at her. “You’re going to do it?”

“Yeah.” Nicole pushed a strand of hair behind Waverly’s ear. “I need to talk to my father. But honestly, I… I think that maybe he’s always known it was coming.”

“I’m proud of you,” Waverly said, stroking Nicole’s cheek. “For a lot of things.”

“Couldn’t have done them without you.”

“You could have,” Waverly replied gently. She kissed Nicole, long and hard. “But together just make it…”

“Better,” Nicole whispered before scooping Waverly up in her arms and carrying her into the house.

 

+++++

 

Waverly walked out onto the porch and sat down on one of the chairs, between Wynonna and Willa.

“Oh, hey,” Willa said dryly. “Our baby sister is still alive.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Waverly demanded.

 Wynonna smirked over her glass of whiskey. “We weren’t sure, given all of the moaning coming out of your room all afternoon.”

Waverly elbowed her in the side. “Shut up.”

“Never,” Wynonna and Willa replied simultaneously.

As Waverly rolled her eyes, Wynonna said, “What was the sex fest about, anyway? You two aren’t usually so…annoying.”

“They aren’t?” Willa asked.

“Well, not when Nic is supposed to be working.”

“Fair enough.”

Waverly rolled her eyes again. “If you _must_ know.” She smirked and stole Wynonna’s whiskey to take a sip. “We got engaged.”

_“What?”_ Wynonna yelled.

“Oh, she finally got around to that?” Willa said with no emotion.

Wynonna stared at her. “You _knew_?”

Willa shrugged. “I thought it was obvious.”

“And _when_ did she propose?”

Waverly took another sip. “About eleven thirty this morning.”

“It’s been almost seven hours and you didn’t tell me?” Wynonna leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I hate this family.”

Waverly reached across her to let Willa refill her whiskey glass. “No. You don’t.”

Wynonna couldn’t help the smile the flickered to the edges of her lips. “Well,” she admitted quietly. “I guess I tolerate you two.”

“Here’s to tolerance, then,” Waverly joked, tapping her glass against Willa’s and taking a sip.

Wynonna grabbed the bottle, tapped it against both glasses, and swigged it. “To tolerance!”

All three of them laughed, loudly, and they stayed on the porch bickering as they watched the sun go down.


End file.
